They said it in March

"When it’s about addressing issues that concern the students, all stakeholders — including parents, management and students — should have a say in the decision-making, to ensure that it is a democratic process." -- H. A. Ranganath, vice chancellor, Bangalore University in Deccan Herald (March 15)

"People who feel aggrieved, marginalised have a right to be listened to. They cannot be stopped or oppressed because they are poor. Sometimes governments have to make difficult decisions for the benefit of the country." -- Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner

"We cannot allow human societies to descend into chaos due to the conflict on utilisation of water resources, be it within nations or between nations." -- Prime minister Manmohan Singh (March 23)

"Early childhood is a stage of education we do not fully recognise. Even the amendment made to the Constitution, making elementary education a fundamental right, leaves out the first five years of life. That is when the secret powers of childhood are at their most intense." -- NCERT director Krishna Kumar in Times of India (March 23)

"The biggest regret of my life is not having a MBA degree." -- Steel tycoon Lakshmi N. Mittal, speaking at the annual convocation of the Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad on March 25

"At any cost, we won’t allow sex education in state-run schools. We will see if we can interfere in CBSE affairs and stop teaching sex education in state schools where CBSE syllabus is followed." -- Basavaraj Horatti, Karnataka’s primary and secondary education minister (March 26)

"The media gives disproportionate coverage to cricket and it goes a long way in raising expectations. They praise the team sky high when it wins. Sometimes things go wrong." -- BCCI chief Sharad Pawar reacting to India’s shock exit from the cricket World Cup