The Great Indian Brain Drain-Time to be Concerned

Parents in India are proud that their children are studying abroad and that they can afford it too and even though it feels like an achievement to a family, this, however, is only one side of the story. The other side of the coin is the story of ‘brain drain,’ in which brilliant Indian students choose to study abroad and eventually settle there, depleting the country’s pool of talented resources. The reason? Growing dissatisfaction among young Indians to find jobs matching their skills.

“Of course moving abroad offers one better prospects in terms of compensation and skill upgradation, but it’s not the only reason why Indians choose to migrate. One of the main reasons for families to relocate out of India is the overall social safety net. The idea of a welfare state in which a family’s basic needs of education and health are met or are available at a reasonable cost is too good to pass up,” says Anoop Singh Bishnoi, Chairman of The Doon School, Dehradun. 

To understand why students leave for abroad, the government must first learn more about their needs and demands from the system. Also, consider what draws them away from India. Canada, Spain, and the United States have increased their efforts to attract students by eliminating the need to take qualifying exams or relaxing visa requirements. Tuition fees for professional courses are frequently lower abroad than at private universities in India.

The immediate need is to understand what motivates people to leave India, because this isn’t just limited to students now, even millennials are leaving India for mental peace and the freedom to live their lives as they see fit, free of the rigid societal pressures and rules that Indian society imposes on us. The importance that India places on social class, caste, and kinship undermines its social structure. Our society prioritizes social cohesion over individual freedom and, as a result, is resistant to change. Furthermore, Indian society is highly discriminatory towards the LGBTQIA+ community, which has essentially contributed to a new variant of rebellion known as “gay brain drain.” People from gender and sexual minorities are moving towards societies that promise them equal rights and dignity.

 “Yes, we must hold our society and ourselves responsible for some actions, but our system can’t escape this questioning entirely. The issues of life quality, employment opportunities, social structure, financial and social security, development, gender equality, and freedom in all aspects of life - do we have all of them? Because if even one goes wrong, the desire to break free and seek it in another country will remain compelling,” adds Anoop.