“…the truth is crystal clear. In 2014, during the Congress UPA government, there were 16,217 sanctioned posts in Central universities out of which 6,042 posts, i.e. 37% posts, were vacant. The Modi government is rapidly filling all these posts by taking every section along. This is the reason that despite the increase in the number of sanctioned posts (18,940) in 2024 as compared to 2014, the total number of vacant posts has decreased from 37% to 26.8% today.”
Dharmendra Pradhan, Union education minister, responding to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s charge that faculty vacancies have increased (Indian Express, November 5)
“He understood the hopes and aspirations of young entrepreneurs and recognised the potential they had to shape India’s future. By backing their efforts, he empowered a generation of dreamers to take bold risks and push boundaries. This has gone a long way in creating a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tribute to the late Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Group of companies (The Economic Times, November 9)
“The fact that he is a known commodity with a good relationship with our PM is bound to be a positive thing in the relationship between two heads of government… We also know he is very tough on China which is good for us as we ourselves are having our own issues with China. So that is where we can find ourselves finding common cause with Mr. Trump.”
Shashi Tharoor on Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential elections (The Telegraph, November 6)
“The economy is like it was during the Mughal empire — it produces bespoke goods at high markups for the rich, but is unable to service the mass market demand of the ordinary Indian due to low productivity. Rent-seeking, not profit maximisation, is therefore the goal of most entrepreneurs.”
Rathin Roy, professor, Kautilya Shool of Public Policy Hyderabad in an essay titled ‘India’s ‘Mughal’ Economy (The Economic Times, November 12)
