Pitroda stirs quota storm among MPs

Knowledge Commission Chairman Sam Pitroda felt the political sting of some commission members opposing reservation when he arrived to lecture a group of Parliamentarians today.

He had barely finished his lecture on the Knowledge Commission's plans with regard to education, when Dr Karan Singh Yadav, Congress MP from Alwar in Rajasthan, questioned Pitroda as to how he could oppose reservation for Other Backward Castes.

Knowledge Commission Member Andre Beteille had quit the commission over the issue.

"How can you oppose reservation? Aren't you aware that for over 2000 years the backward castes have been oppressed," he said. He was joined by Congress MP from Nizamabad Madhu Goud Yaskhi and Francis Fanthome, former chairperson of the ICSE board.

Yaskhi wanted to know why the government was over eager to oblige private entrepreneurs by giving them incentives, but did not do the same for those who really needed a leg-up.

"Infosys has been given land in Hyderabad at throwaway prices just to ensure 500 jobs, something for which the company would have hunted for local talent in any case," he said.

When Yaskhi persisted with his line of questioning, especially on the issue of corporate getting incentives and not fulfilling social responsibilities, Pitroda was forced to agree with him. "You are right, why don't you all (politicians) go after them," he said.

The lecture was part of a series initiated by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.