Problem of Brain Drain in India

The brain drain is the migration of educated persons from one country (often a developing country) to other (often more developed ones). India is a major supplier of skilled and unskilled human capital for the advanced economies. India is sending large numbers of these specialists compared to other important origin countries.

Types of Brain drain

Primary external brain drain

It occurs when human resources leave their country (such as India) to go and work overseas in developed countries such as Europe, North America and Australia.

Secondary external brain drain

It occurs when human resources leave their country (such as India) to go and work elsewhere in the nearer region e.g. Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Internal brain drain

It occurs when human resources are not employed in the fields of their expertise in their own country or when human resources move from the public sector to the private sector or within a sector. Many of our own IIT engineers take up banking jobs with alacrity. Money ultimately beckons and our companies ask for a management degree everywhere.

Push and Pull factors

The lack of opportunities, political instability, economic depression, Poor infrastructure, Corruption, health risks in India and rich opportunities, political stability, academic freedom, best research facilities and freedom, developed economy, better living conditions in host countries are the main push and pull factors.

The individual reasons like family influence, peer pressure and personal preference: preference for exploring, ambition for an improved career can also be considered.

• Higher Education
• Employment
• Lack of opportunities
• Favorable migration policies

Socio – Economic Aspects of Brain Drain in India

India– the brain reservoir in the new knowledge based economy

The growth in knowledge intensive activities in the developed world has led to a growing demand for Science and Engineering professionals. With an important reserve of trained people in this domain, India is becoming a major supplier of human capital for the advanced economies. India is sending large numbers of these specialists compared to other important origin countries.

Indian students: an important source of labour for developed economies

An important place in the flows of well-trained Indian migrants is taken by Indian students.

Increase in the immigration of Indian migrants to the European Union (EU) due to favourable Policies

The European Union has been seeking to put in place measures which comprise effective integration policies addressing education and labour market issues.

Indian immigrants who acquired European Union citizenship

Owing to its demographic profile and its English-speaking population, India, with its large reserves of highly-skilled workers, has emerged as one of the most prominent country to fill the supply gaps in the labour-deficient economies of the developed world.

India a supplier of young and well trained-people:

The tremendous demand for psychiatrists abroad and the obstacles for setting up a practice in the country are two of the primary reasons for the specific type of brain drain. The gap between supply and demand was being met by “faith healers” (boothavaidyulu) who do not treat the patients scientifically.

Implications of Brain Drain

• The under-developed countries are spending millions of rupees on the training of these experts. But the advanced countries are utilizing their services without spending any money on their training.
• The emigration of health professionals has negative effects on India, especially in rural areas where the density of doctors is lower than in urban areas.
• Most of the students who go abroad for higher studies do not return to India. After seeing, the affluent life of foreign countries they lose all interest in their own country.
• There is another attraction of leading a higher standard of living in foreign countries, because the technical experts and intellectuals are given special facilities there.
• The government must take speedy steps to attract back home these talented sons of India who are living abroad.
• These experts can surely help in making India a great power in the world.

Benefits of Brain Drain / Brain Gain

The expatriates help the economy with their investments back home and their participation in community development programmes. Thus, they can not be blamed for all drain and no benefits. In fact, the expatriates have become huge financial assets for India through remittances and investments. NRI remittances have been a mainstay of India’s forex receipts and are motivated by self-enrichment rather than enrichment of the nation is beside the point.

Youngsters going abroad actually have very limited skills. They hugely improve their skills abroad, mainly through job experience, so returnees bring back much brainpower. Some label it as Brain Circulation.

Internal migration of the skilled and unskilled people has resulted in formation of industrial / tech hubs such as Noida (Delhi) and Hi-Tec City in Hyderabad.

Schemes by the Indian government

The Ramanujan Fellowship, Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) Programme: To encourage scientists and engineers of Indian origin from all over the world to take up scientific research positions in India, especially those scientists who want to return to India from abroad.

The Ramalingaswamy Fellowship: For providing a platform to scientists who are willing to return and work in India.