Fleeing to foreign shores

The number of Indian students enrolled in the US has gone up in spite of the recent anti-immigration rhetoric. Indeed, the latest statistics show a rise among Indian students even as overall the enrolment of international students in the US fell this year. Those who went joined the estimated 2.5 lakh students who were counted in last year’s report.

The US is one destination. Canada, Australia, the UK and even non-English speaking countries of Europe have increasingly become destinations for Indian students. Brain drain seems an antediluvian concept these days, but there must be reasons why parents spend Rs 2 crore or so that it takes for a student to graduate abroad. Among the factors often cited are two: insufficient number of international quality educational institutions for top students, and the lack of options for students whose marks do not allow them to get admission in good Indian universities. There also seems to be anxiety among many people about the future of their children, which drives them to seek what appear to be greener pastures. Restrictions on the possibility of work after education in many countries should decrease their attractiveness, but the increasing number of students seems to buck the trend.

Policy makers and educators in India, too, need to find means to improve the infrastructure for higher education and provide our students with what they need nearer home. We need to re-look at the issue of allowing foreign universities to open campuses in India. Countries like Singapore have done well with such initiatives. While international exposure for our students is welcome, it comes at a high cost, both emotional and financial. The rising number of enrolments in foreign lands is a reflection on how we are unable to fulfil what should be a basic need for all students — quality education, and good employment opportunities after that. A pity.