Cleanliness is a good thing, which the society should embrace. But it has nothing to do with Modi, nor can he implement it.
— Kapil Sibal
How do you trust a prime minister who said one thing before the elections and does exactly the opposite after the elections?
It would be a matter of concern for government if intrusive data capture has been deployed against Indian citizens or government infrastructure.
If there are malpractices in sports, part of the solution lies in the organisations themselves taking a very strong view and cleaning up the mess from within.
The judiciary is entitled to finally resolve a dispute. Not every decision is right.
All of us have a romantic streak in us. That's why we are fallible, aren't we?
Corruption is in society and in every strata of society.
I have only one sister, Asha Nanda, and she lives in Maharani Bagh.
We do not want to interfere with the freedom of press.
Modi is an excellent orator - sure, anybody who spouts untruths is an excellent orator.
BJP is the mothership of violence.
Can any sane person say that before something comes on the Net you must screen it? How can there be pre-screening?
Ownership is a very complex judicial concept.
I came into politics by accident. I may go out of politics by accident.
The overreach of the judiciary can be attributed to, one, the inability of the executive to deliver; and two, the tendency to issue judicial pronouncements for national good. The second element is dangerous because that's the function of the government.
Through geospatial technologies, you can plan a whole city sitting in your room.
I think poetry is a fabulous medium to encapsulate thoughts far more precisely than prose.
No matter who the prime minister is, incremental changes take place. The economy moves on.
When you have a limited resource and you have a lot of people wanting that resource, then those who get more justify as to why they got more, and those who get less say they have been treated badly.
The great challenge before the IITs is to act as a catalyst in the growth of quality technical education in the country.
Governments getting involved in sports activities would ultimately damage sports.
Universities are not places where police can come and arrest people. Let the children have a discourse as they want to. They will learn as they move on in life. But to target individuals and institutions is dangerous.
The media can allege corruption, but if I do the same against the media, I am gagging freedom of expression.
Corruption is everywhere. It's not just in the Congress. Corruption is not just your prerogative or mine.
I have never applied for a share in Tehelka.
I believe a true Hindu in India could never have endorsed the killing of the Mahatma.
We're trying to create a better world, not a perfect one. It cannot ever be perfect.
Public figures will get public criticism, and they should be tolerant enough to take it.
I would welcome satirical references to political leaders as part of freedom of expression.
When I took over the ministry for science and technology, our weather systems were in shambles. Nobody believed in the IMD. Nothing was in digital mode. I changed all that. We got automatic rain gauges, automatic weather stations, Doppler radars.
M&A guidelines need to be liberal.
The appointment of judges to the higher judiciary cannot be the sole domain of a few members of the higher judiciary. This turf must be shared.
You learn on the job. When I was a young lawyer and got a case, I knew nothing about the subject. You start reading, you look for the philosophy behind it, and by the time you are actually in a court of law, you are a master.
I have been writing poetry for a long time now. I started writing in my school days.
How do you trust a government whose people are proved to be untrustworthy?
If you have decisions taken from time to time at the level of the executives, which gives the impression of being discriminatory, if you are not open when government is functioning, then obviously people will make allegations.
Great research universities around the world are visible not just through their quality graduates but as knowledge creators and technology developers.
Sports can't be run by governments.
I am a lawyer by profession.
No one can end it, but incidents of corruption can be reduced.
Appointments to the higher judiciary must be through transparent processes, which ensure that persons of impeccable integrity and high competence are appointed to these positions.
Modi may be rich in politics but is poor at heart.
Every child should get an opportunity to study irrespective of the economic status.
Just as judges have enormous stake in the appointment of judicial officers in the higher judiciary, the government has an equal stake. Since both of us have stakes in the appointment of members of the higher judiciary, the consultation of both of them is absolutely necessary. The government must have a say.
The press in India, I believe, is more free, and happily so, than perhaps media anywhere in the world. Right? Which is a good thing.
Judges decide upon copyright law. They decide upon trademark law. They decide upon scientific issues. They decide upon very complex technical issues on a daily basis. So you must have confidence in the Supreme Court, that they will apply their mind and they will come out with a decision consistent with the Constitution.
I have no personal ambitions. I consider it a great privilege to have been given an opportunity to serve, through the Congress party, the people of India. I think that itself is a great reward. I have no personal ambitions in that regard.
I personally believe technology can transform the functioning of the judicial system.
The justice delivery system needs structural change. It needs fresh vision and innovative solutions.
That's what technology does to you - makes you lazy but allows you to innovate.
