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Unfazed, Sibal sticks to his guns(The Times of India Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)NEW DELHI: Unfazed by the criticism of his party colleagues, science and technology minister Kapil Sibal stuck to his guns over opposing OBC quotas in central universities and elite institutions, stating that he "was concerned about India's competitive edge in the globalised era". "We have to compete with giants and survive. In this century, power will not flow from the barrel of a gun, but levels of excellence achieved in laboratories," Sibal told The Times of India from Tunis over telephone. The producers of knowledge, he was emphatic, will set the pace in the new age. The minister, however, sought to dispel the impression that his remarks in Hannover - where he said that "no policy initiative should be taken which would dilute the levels of excellence in research and development and educational institutions" - were related to OBC quotas. Sibal's observations, widely reported in the media, had triggered a political controversy with senior Congress leaders, including AICC functionaries, arguing in favour of quotas and criticising the minister for having gone against what is going to be government policy soon. But the minister said he had made no reference to HRD minister Arjun Singh's controversial proposal. Sibal also disagreed with a suggestion that his initial statement was actually a reflection of PM Manmohan Singh's concerns over the issue. "I did not target anyone, nor did I speak on somebody's behalf," he said. The minister said he felt compelled to speak on the issue since a number of major institutions came under his department. "Excellence and competitiveness are two key themes for any country which wants to stay afloat in the knowledge era," he said. Asked about the strong response to his earlier statements, Sibal said, "When I spoke in Hannover, I did not expect to win approval from any quarters." When pointed out that his remarks were being greeted by the agitating students as an endorsement of their movement, Sibal said, "I had no idea about the street protests by the medicos in New Delhi." The minister did not want to be seen as having issued a rejoinder to Arjun Singh's quota initiative. "It is about the vision of India in an entirely new world," he said. |