Brain Drain or Drain for a Brain

Brain drain is a phenomenon wherein the country’s clever, educated, skilled persons, emigrate or go elsewhere in search of better opportunities and a higher standard of living.

According to the UN definition, brain drain is a flight of talent that is required for the country’s development to another country.

We need to do a lot of study and investigation, “Is brain drain really harmful for any country?” Is globalization not responsible for it? Is the demand and supply factor not responsible? Are the new generation, who migrate, not helping in creating a bridge between countries by integrating and understanding different cultures and different ways of working? Are we not become overcrowded in the skill market that it is much better to go abroad and leverage other country’s educational and economic infrastructure to our benefit? And we need to ask one more important question to ourselves whether we really need these materialistic people who believe that other countries have more to offer?

Brain drain is a term originated in around 1960s. During world war II many scientists, lawyers, teachers, professionals, and many delegates migrated all over the world.

In search of a better working atmosphere, many British scientists and intellectuals emigrated to the United States in the 1960s itself. The biggest brain drain is the emigration from rural to the urban areas, and from developing nations to developed nations.

Our ambitious youth at times is blamed for the failures of the government, also why we can’t look at the positive side of the phenomenon. If we really think about the positive side, brain drain is not about losing talented and enterprising people but it could be about their aspirations, about attitudes and pride in one’s country. It could also be the desire of the youth to change their country against all odds.

The income of an emigrated person comes back to its native country only as overseas remittance. India is the only country with the highest amount of overseas remittance, with this money education and infrastructure can be improved in the native country.

Though true in some cases, we have to accept that brain drain can affect the growth and development of a country adversely. It can become a major problem in some sectors because it creates a drop in the supply of manpower required for making a developed country a global power.

• 28% of IBM employees are Indians
• 34% of MICROSOFT employees are Indians
• 36% of NASA employees are Indians
• 12% of scientists in America are Indians
• 38% of doctors in America are Indians

Due to the lack of government policies and strategies people migrate to developed countries for a better opportunity and perks. The government should provide merit only on the basis of talent and research regardless of age and caste. The quality of education and universities should be raised. Attractive salary pattern should be formulated, fair secure jobs should be offered.

And people should also realize that with little patience and hard work we can accomplish and fulfil our dreams into reality. They should realize that their country and parents have done a lot for them now it is your turn to pay off.

However brain drain adversely affects a country, we need to seriously think about why the young generation preferred to settle in other countries. We need to give them the right atmosphere to our genius and brilliant students to grow and flourish in their own country itself. We also need to create more and more skilled citizens and talented students to get away from the pinch of brain drain. Along with this, we must accept that some bright minds will flourish and migrate as to bring glory to their respective countries with their extraordinary achievements and accomplishments. And better still, we need to entice the ones, who have left, to come back and enrich us with their experiences. Thus, I believe that the trend is reversible but all depends upon the government policies and the political will of the leaders.