Education

IAS Parliament 7 years

KEY POINTS

· Student migration from India has gathered steam in the last three years, even as that from other origin countries slowed.

· A majority of Indian parents were eyeing varsities overseas both for undergraduate and postgraduate courses for their wards.

· This is much higher than the global average.

· Indian parents spent a hefty amount towards their children’s school and college education overseas.

· Globally, India now accounts for the second largest population of international college students after China.

Reasons

· Widespread belief that foreign institutions will offer quality education.

· Quality faculty and research opportunities.

· Superiority of foreign education institutions over domestic institutions in the International ranking framework.

· Other motivations such as - learning foreign languages.

· Gaining international work experience.

· Exposure to new ideas.

Impact

· Enhance job prospects.

· Encourage cross-pollination of ideas.

· A one-way street – While China had more number of students lodged in varsities abroad, it had also half as many international students lodged at its own campuses.

· Malaysia and Singapore had also attracted more students to its domestic campuses than it sends overseas.

· But, in India, the number of students lodged abroad is at more than four times the inbound numbers.

· Brain drain – If the hordes of bright students who head offshore for their higher studies decide to settle there permanently.

· The brain drain cannot be very good for India’s demographic dividend story.

· Dollar drain - As more Indian parents pack off their children right from under graduation, foreign exchange remittances towards their support are growing by leaps and bounds.

Way ahead

· Upgrading the quality of domestic educational institutions is therefore a must-solve problem for India’s policymakers.

· It can staunch the brain drain, attract more international students onshore and thus help keep the balance of payments in check.