Free sample essay on The Problem of Brain Drain in India. India has spent a great amount of her income and wealth in creating scientific, technological and educational infrastructure.
Brain drain may be defined as emigration, especially from developing and underdeveloped countries to developed ones, by intellectuals, experts, highly qualified professionals like scientists, engineers, doctors, economists and other technically trained persons. It means depletion of intellectual, professional and technical resources of one country and enrichment of another. Almost all the developing and underdeveloped nations have been suffering from this problem since long. India is no exception. The problem is really very serious and must be addressed immediately. Thousands of Indian scientists; doctors, engineers and other highly qualified and trained persons have been immigrating to the advanced and developing countries of Europe and America. This exodus of our young, promising and bright professionals and scientists, to developed countries of the West, in search of greener pastures and better career opportunities, is a matter of great concern. The departure of these highly talented and trained people, forming the intellectual backbone of the nation, has a detrimental effect on the economic, technical, scientific and mental health of the country.
This huge outflow of our scientific, technical and managerial manpower is common and widespread in all the fields and professions, like medicine, engineering, education, technology, computer science, business management and human resource development. A big percentage of our national income is being spent on the education and training of these young men and women. And when they are in a position to serve the country, as highly skilled professionals and scientists, they migrate to rich and developed lands. This results in a great national waste in terms of money and manpower. It is nothing short of a national tragedy that these personnel, trained and educated at the expense of the Indian tax-payers, should leave the country at the very first opportunity. Moreover, the students who go abroad for higher education and research seldom come back. They leave their motherland and country of origin in the lurch and settle down in the West, enjoying a luxurious life. ‘
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India has spent a great amount of her income and wealth in creating scientific, technological and educational infrastructure. But there are no commensurate returns because of this brain drain and outflow of talent. It also reflects our moral degradation and utter selfishness. It has a touch of treacherousness that many of our young men and women turn their backs on their beloved motherland because of the lure of money, comfort and better career opportunities. But they cannot be held solely responsible for this sorry state of affairs. No doubt, India has been spending millions of rupees every year on their training and education. But the matter does not end there. They must also be given opportunities for the best possible utilization of their talents, skills, manpower and mental abilities.
The reasons for this massive exodus of our national talent are quite obvious. This one-way traffic is the result of a deep- rooted malaise, comprising of lack of proper employment opportunities, research facilities, job-satisfaction and recognition of merit and excellence. Many of our great scientists, like Harboring Koran, etc., emigrated to the West just because we failed to recognize their genius and did not provide them with proper research facilities.
The prevailing unemployment and under-employment are the other reasons for this brain drain. There are many young and talented scientists, doctors, engineers and technologists in our country who suffer from the lack of proper employment opportunities. Their patriotism is beyond any shadow of doubt but it will grow weak and wither away soon for want of nourishment and proper employment opportunities. No talent, however patriotic, can exist and prosper in frustration and unemployment. Many of our best boys and girls go abroad for higher studies and research. After the completion of their research and studies, they prefer to settle down there because they know that their capacities and capabilities would remain under-utilized here, and that they will not be provided jobs befitting their talents and training. If a few of them return, inspired by patriotism, national feeling and a high sense of duty towards India, they ultimately face frustration and unemployment resulting in great disillusionment and dissatisfaction.
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After enjoying the comforts, proper research facilities and affluence abroad, these young men and women are bound to suffer from frustration because of meager salaries, inadequate research facilities, and poor working conditions in India. To attract our talented men and women back to India, it is essential that we create proper job opportunities, decent working conditions and top positions. It is almost impossible to stop this brain drain unless we considerably improve our living standards, salaries and other such facilities. In the United States, Canada, Britain or Germany, students, can earn their living easily while learning. Besides, they are given sufficient support to continue their studies smoothly. But in India all these are lacking.
The problem of brain drain is really very serious and multidimensional. It cannot be solved with half-hearted measures and efforts. It has to be checked on two fronts. We should stop the outflow of our scientists, technicians, doctors, etc. by creating attractive, satisfying and meaningful job opportunities in the country. We should also create such conditions as may facilitate the return of those who have settled abroad. It is high time that we take concrete and immediate steps to check this brain drain because India is one of the worst hit countries by this intellectual exodus. India is bound to become a major world and industrial power sooner rather than later. The opening up of its economy and liberalization of industrial and technological sectors will make it one of the most industrialized and scientifically advanced nations of the world.
The multinational companies, foreign institutional investors and others are parking their huge funds in India. Consequently, the number of positions in the industry, finance, science, technology, computer software, medicine, etc. increasing considerably. And so, now each and every scientist, doctor, engineer, scientist, technologist and technician can take part in this noble task of taking the country forward. India is already a power to be reckoned with and soon there will be sufficient opportunities for our gifted and talented professionals and young men and women.
India should not only check the flight of talent but also lure back the thousands of our talented scientists, etc. from developed countries. In recent years the outflow of our talented personnel to oil-rich countries of the Middle-East has been a matter of concern. No doubt they earn and send back huge valuable foreign exchange, but the real loss to the country is in long term dividends and benefits as these people go there and settle for good. They seldom return to India.
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It is in our best interest that this brain drain is checked and the outflow of talent is discouraged. It is really tragic that we fail to recognize our own talents and applaud them only when the developed and advanced countries of the West put their stamp of recognition and appreciation. It is high time that our leaders, government, educationists, planners, industrialists and others put their heads together to create suitable job and research opportunities so as to absorb our highly skilled, talented and gifted graduates and post-graduates coming out of universities, Its, medical and engineering institutions.
The need of the hour is that merit and excellence is given its due place of pride. Nepotism, bureaucratic interference, poor and appalling working conditions, etc. should be eliminated. Unless we create a proper work culture, working conditions, job opportunities and handsome salaries, it is almost impossible to check and stop this brain drain. The problem is really very serious and has also attracted the attention of the U.N. It has suggested that developing nations should be properly and adequately compensated for the loss caused by brain drain. The developed countries should pay the affected countries because it is a great boon to them. But the suggestion is neither practicable nor acceptable as it involves many complexities and controversies.