Brain Drain From India (Essay Sample)

Brain drain from India
Name:
Course:
Institution:
Instructor:
Date:
Introduction
India is one of the many developing nations that are facing brain drain challenge as its talented youths migrate to developed nations in search for greener pastures (Das, 2001). This term emerged in the 1960s when many skilled person begun emigrating from their motherland to affluent nations in search of better life (Grubel & Scott, 1977). India has a vast population, and this is a challenge because an increase in population causes scarcity in most resources. For instance, India has water scarcity because most water bodies have been populated by industries. The level of unemployment continue to rise and for those who have jobs, they are paid meager salaries; yet people doing the same job in America or Britain are paid lucratively (Heenan, 2005). As a result of such crisis, elite people such as doctors, professors, scientists, and engineers among others have often migrated to other nations; this leaves India barren in term of skills, and expertise. This essay seeks to discuss the problem of brain drain from India, and determine the extent at which India has been affected and probable solutions.
One of the areas that this essay will discuss is higher education in India. A large percent of students leaves India for further education abroad. More so, this essay will analyze and compare job opportunities between India, and developed nation in order to establish a better solution in the future. In addition, this essay will cover the element of freedom and migration preferences since most Indians migrating to foreign nations often run away from their cultures. Consequently, this essay will provide practical solutions that India can apply to resolve brain drain calamity. It is essential to note that Indians are highly skilled especially in technology and business, and emigration to developed nation provides host nations with diverse merits. There are numerous reports that indicate that Indians have dominated American technology Industry, which is one of the rapid growing sector today (Khanna, 2007).
Situation
Brain drain is a scenario whereby a poor nation losses its skilled workers to a richer nation, and this results development challenges due to shortage of expertise (Khadria, 1999). India and China are the most hit nations when it comes to human capital flight, and this has negatively affected the ability of these nations to progress accordingly especially in the 1960s (Mishra, 2013). For any development to take place, the government has to provide political and economical stimulus such as tax relief to attract local and international investors (Khadria, 1999).
Therefore, if the government is unable to provide a better environment for trade, traders will flee their nation in search of better grounds of investment. This is one of the major causes of India’s brain drain because the government demanded exorbitant taxes; 97.75 percent in the late 60s (Mathew & Gopinathan, 1990). This means that if a trader made 100 Rs, he paid 98 Rs as taxes, and was left with only 2 Rs. To make things worse, there were other taxes such as inheritance, wealth tax that further drained the little money the trader was left with. Hence, in the long run businessmen were forced to pay higher taxes hire than their actual income. In business, a trader strives to make profit in order to grow his or her enterprise. Thus, these harsh political and economic forces made it impossible for businessmen to thrive in India. The best practical solution was to migrate to nations that offered better economic stimuli such as America, and Britain (Mathew & Gopinathan, 1990).
From the 1960s, the numbers of Indians intellect leaving the country have gradually increased as population raises, causing more scarcity. India brain drain was caused by two major forces; social environment and individual preferences (Buga, & Meyer, 2012). Under the social environment, the government failed to provide its skilled workers with job opportunities and better salaries, which these workers easily got from developed nations (Biju, 2007). Human beings are often in search of better challenges that will make their work meaningful. Hence, if workers fail to get positive challenge in their nations, they will respond by emigrating to societies that offer better opportunities for career, and personal growth. For example, developed nations provide vast opportunities to researchers such as funds, and equipment to facilitate scientific progress (OÌ€zbilgin, et al, 2014).
Brain drain also developed due to political instability (Biju, 2007). Political factor is a core external force in business because instabilities negatively affect businesses. During the 60 and 70s Indian politics were not stable, and this pioneered emigration of skilled workers. Peace and stability are fundamental in growth and development because this attract investors, and human capital. However, this was not the case in India because the government failed to provide political stability for economic growth (Biju, 2007).
In the 60s and 70s India was facing severe economic depression such as tax problems, and this discouraged local, and international investors to establish companies despite the advantage of a vast ready market (Choi, 1995). Brain drain also emerged following poor health conditions at work because labor unions were unable to rally for better working conditions to minimize occupational hazards. In the west, workers were given better health insurance and better working condition, and this motivated Indians to migrate in bulk to developed nations (Meyer, 2007).
Additionally, India brain drain was triggered by demand for higher education (Reza, 2011). Although Indian universities increased after independence, the quality of education in these universities was lower compared to western universities. Hence, hundreds of students migrated to US or UK for quality education. It is essential to note that most of the people who emigrated to the west had obtained their education at the expense of the Indian government. This was huge losses to the India government because its efforts and contributions were reaped by developed nations instead (Reza, 2011).
Brain drain also developed because there were favorable immigration policies that enabled talented Indians to leave their country in search for greener pastures. Consequently, India has a large reserve of skilled workers, and many developed nations have introduced better migration policies to attract these skilled workers (Raveesh, 2013). An individual preference to live in the west and embrace western culture is common among many Indians. Some Indians sees living in the west as a perfect escape from their extreme cultures that suppress their freedom (Raveesh, 2013).
Problem
Brain drain is a serious problem because it causes India to lose its skilled workers to richer nation, and this affects India’s development. Human capital is core for growth and development, and human capital flight continues to affect India’s growth prospect (Sukhatme, 1994). Migration of skilled workers has greatly affected a nation’s ability to produce quality items that are highly competitive locally or internationally. Therefore, any loss of skilled workers is a direct loss to a nation’s human capital because its ability to industrialize is limited (Sukhatme, 1994). For instance, loss of India’s doctors, engineers, scientists and other high professionals have affected India’s ability to progress, and offer high services to the public. Unlike today where some tasks can be computerized, in the 60s and 70s this level of technology was limited, and brain drain left the country in massive scarcity of capable workers. Research shows that there are nearly 30 million Indian working and living abroad, and this number continue to increase negatively affecting India’s human capital (Reza, 2011).
Solution/Response
One of the major causes of brain drain is political instabilities (Mathew & Gopinathan 1990, Kabra, 1976). Therefore, to resolve brain drain, the government should work together with all stakeholders to ensure peace, and stability. Democracy is core in building political stability because the power to elect effective leaders rests on the public (Kaempf, & Singb, 1987). Another probable solution is for the government to work on improving economic sector (Sahay, Old Dominion University, 2006). Indians are known for their entrepreneurship and providing stability in the economy through incentives such as tax relief, the government will be able to attract back its people, and other skilled persons. Consequently, India can achieve brain gain by building capacity across all sectors to offer equal opportunities like in developed nations (OÌ€zbilgin, et al, 2014). This can discourage people from migrating to other nations since the government provides workers with dynamic opportunities.
In relation to higher education factor, the government can strive to hire qualified lecturers, and improve university infrastructures to meet western standards (Raveesh, 2013). For example, universities in partnership with other education stakeholders can introduce exchange programs whereby Indian students go and study abroad for a short period. In the same sense, students from developed nations can travel to India, and study from local universities. The merit of exchange programs is that students learn diverse things, and upon return, they positively impact their institutions (Sahay, Old Dominion University, 2006). In relation to immigration policies, the government can also introduce policies that attract international expertise. This can be achieved if the government improves on working condition, provide incentives, political, a...