They said it in October

"The talent pool from which India draws its best is so limited, yet we feel smug and defensive about our best. Imagine how much better and greater in number our bets would be if they were selected from a larger pool."
Krishna Kumar, director, NCERT in The Hindu (October 18)

"The educational progress of Muslims is crucial for mainstreaming this economically and educationally backward community. Even if a 100 additional Muslim universities were to be founded today, they will still be insufficient to meet needs in this regard."
Valson Thampu, member, National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions in Deccan Herald (October 19)

"Will Bangalore’s growth stop if he resigns? The coalition government did not appoint Murthy BIAL chief. The decision to wait or continue is left to him. No individual is indispensable."
JD (S) president and former prime minister Deve Gowda on the resignation of Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy from the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (October 23)

"In our system, teachers are often treated like pawns on a chessboard."
Azim Premji, chairman Wipro Corporation and Azim Premji Foundation (October 22)

"We cannot waste a single minute before we act against privatization of water resources in the country. We’re losing not only our democracy but also our resources."
Noted environmentalist Medha Patkar in Bangalore (October24)

"Teachers alone cannot be expected to achieve quality in education. Do we give them the autonomy to even fix school timings?"
Kumud Bansal, secretary, elementary education and literacy in the human resource development ministry

"Not only is China not a Communist country anymore, but it may also now be the world’s most capitalist country in terms of raw energy. Indeed, I believe history will record that it was Chinese capitalism that put an end to European socialism."
Thomas L. Friedman in The New York Times (October 27)