I have only one sister, Asha Nanda, and she lives in Maharani Bagh.

I am a lawyer by profession.

The genesis of Public Interest Litigation in listening to the voice of the voiceless and giving access to the poor, the marginalised, and the weak is a unique experiment to be lauded.

Nationalism and anti-nationalism is a matter of perception. You cannot mandate who is a nationalist and what is not.

Humility is an attribute of every good Hindu.

Internet governance is an oxymoron. The Internet must govern itself. But you can't play cricket without any rules.

It would be a matter of concern for government if intrusive data capture has been deployed against Indian citizens or government infrastructure.

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.

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.

I think poetry is a fabulous medium to encapsulate thoughts far more precisely than prose.

If you employ an army, have money, bombard cyberspace with misinformation, innocent people tend to buy it.

I have never applied for a share in Tehelka.

If two people cannot live together, both should have the right to opt out of the marriage. In an ideal world, that would be an acceptable solution.

To fix India's healthcare scenario, what is most needed is 'systems thinking.' For far too long, India has followed a vertical approach in its health sector, which translated into disease-specific national programmes being set up.

I personally believe technology can transform the functioning of the judicial system.

The government must adopt a rights-based approach that speaks to the needs and aspirations of surrogate mothers, children born out of surrogacy, and all individuals who want access to altruistic surrogacy services.

Normally, the law of nature is such that one who rises falls, and one who rises quickly falls as quickly. I don't know how the law of nature will work as far as Modi is concerned. But some time or the other, all bubbles burst. This bubble will also burst.

The DNA of a true Hindu is liberal. We are, by essence, liberal.

A single element in transactional mode can never be analysed to calculate either loss or presumptive loss. The losses or gains of all elements in the transaction need to be analysed.

To the youth who have taken up guns, I urge them to return to their parents and shun violence.

Cleanliness is a good thing, which the society should embrace. But it has nothing to do with Modi, nor can he implement it.

Corruption is everywhere. It's not just in the Congress. Corruption is not just your prerogative or mine.

How do you trust a government whose people are proved to be untrustworthy?

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.

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.

Ever since Modi became prime minister, he has given a free rein to his ministers and BJP functionaries to create an environment of communal tension and violence.

Every child should get an opportunity to study irrespective of the economic status.

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.

Governments getting involved in sports activities would ultimately damage sports.

The fabric of our Constitution and our civilisational culture is based on tolerance.

That's what technology does to you - makes you lazy but allows you to innovate.

Intolerance is alien to Hinduism.

The BJP, undoubtedly, is a party with a mission. Spreading hatred and religious discord, indulging in state-sponsored violence and fake encounter killings, and resorting to divisive politics have been integral to this mission.

Sedition involves sloganeering with incitement. It may be anti-national, but not a crime, unless you incite violence or communal tension.

For a movie, you have to make sure the lyrics are consistent with the rhythm that is given to you. But, at times, during the song's recording, you find out that your words are not appropriate for the track, and so you have to change them.

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.

The optimal use of natural resources can be made only if there is a well-thought-out policy framework for their exploitation towards a particular end use.

The government must understand that it cannot substitute the health, nutrition, and overall development outcomes of Indian citizens with 'efficiency gains.'

We do not want to interfere with the freedom of press.

We are great believers in the idea that the Internet can help bring justice, but justice varies from place to place across the world.

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.

Can any sane person say that before something comes on the Net you must screen it? How can there be pre-screening?

Great research universities around the world are visible not just through their quality graduates but as knowledge creators and technology developers.

Ownership is a very complex judicial concept.

We must make the government accept that at a time when we are expected to look ahead, we cannot afford to start discriminating against our own people in the name of 'ethos.'

Modi may be rich in politics but is poor at heart.

My abiding faith in the wisdom of our electorate is what gives me hope.

There's a difference between those who breed terrorism and those who fight terrorism. This difference should be recognised by the people of India.

All of us have a romantic streak in us. That's why we are fallible, aren't we?

In India, by and large, women are not educated enough to be bread winners and, within the moorings of traditional cultures, do not have the courage and the capacity to leave the matrimonial home. Given the inequality prevalent in family structures, the woman's right to opt out is suicidal.