The Govt must check brain drain

|
  • 0

The Govt must check brain drain

Wednesday, 04 January 2023 | Shreya Garg

The Govt must check brain drain

The Government must formulate measures that can curb the exodus of high networth individuals without infringing upon their civil liberties

Are Indians going abroad for greener pastures? Should we be worried as to why intelligentsia is keen on settling abroad? And what are the ways in which the number of emigrants can be brought down significantly? As per a report, over 1.6 lakh Indians renounced their citizenship in 2021 and around 1.8 lahks in 2022. So far, this is the first time in two consecutive years that the highest number of people have opted for foreign citizenship and let go of their Indian one.

Many surveys and assessments have been done in the past to ascertain the possible reasons behind the masses giving up Indian citizenship. They include a better standard of living, better pay, social security, tax terrorism, red tape, better education from renowned institutions, and perhaps even more open-minded societies. Come to think about it, many of the individuals who become successful in the field of medicine, engineering, academics, and so on leave the country, and become the skilled workforce of some other foreign nation. Does it bode well for a developing country like India? Certainly not. They amass their knowledge using Indian resources and by studying in Indian educational institutions, however, they, later on, end up contributing to the GDP of other nations. According to the Global Wealth Migration Review, data showed that around 7,000 Indian millionaires or high-net-worth individuals moved abroad permanently in 2020. Most of them included highly skilled doctors, engineers, financial professionals, and others.

In the decade following Independence, millions of Indians migrated overseas to avoid poverty, inequality, unemployment, and political instability. However, in today’s era, things stand differently and emigrants are driven more by their personal set of aspirations. What’s made the move of settling abroad easier is the access to robust technologies via which people can take care of the financial requirements of their loved ones. Besides, traveling from one country to another has become more seamless and affordable now.

Many of the developed nations have relaxed their immigration policies to attract a skilled workforce, triggering an exodus of people from mainly developing nations. The reasons that can best explain the move are - the debilitating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, low population, and low birth rate. Developed countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and EU countries face an acute shortage of skilled workers. Japan and Italy are 'demographic time bombs’. The population of Japan is projected to lose 20.7 million people in the coming years, a shrinking of around 17%. Similarly, Italy is also the victim of a declining population, which is expected to shrink from 61 million to 28 million.

According to World Bank data, another issue is the aging population, wherein over 23% of Italian people are over 65 years. Young people in developed countries are deciding to forgo having children. Almost all developed countries share a similar sorry picture. This explains why they pinned their hopes on immigration. At a time when our country requires a major technological push in sectors of agriculture, education, health, defense, communication, and logistics, the record number of emigrants poses a challenge, a thorn in the flesh. India can take a cue from the 'Citizenship by Investment Program' of various countries that allows individuals to get foreign citizenship easily. Over 100 countries in the world have some form of investment migration legislation in place. For instance, if an individual can generate employment in a foreign country, they get priority for migration to that country. It’s about time the Govt provided tax incentives to people who generate employment inside India.

The Government should come up with plans to incentivize high-networth individuals who invest in agriculture, defense technology, health, education, and other projects. Businessmen must be protected from tax terrorism and entrepreneurship thriving on innovation should be patronized and suitably funded by the state. These measures may be able to stem the tide of the massive exodus to some extent. What is thought-provoking is how the Govt has to spend a large sum from the exchequer to buy niche technologies, which require a high level of technical expertise. These could well have been developed in our own country had the brain drain been checked over a period of time.

To be sure, some degree of migration is healthy, as it allows people of Indian origin to integrate into the global economy and bring recognition and revenue too. But the numbers we are staring at present paint a grim picture. Has brain drain, a glaring problem, taken a backseat in the midst of other political, social, and economical issues? Perhaps, it has. To combat it, the Government must decide on some punitive measures that can be taken to reduce the rising number of emigrants. While they may prove counterproductive, the government must definitely formulate measures that are dissuasive in nature that don't end up infringing upon the civil liberties of aspiring immigrants.

(The author keenly follows news pertaining to women's rights and writes to shape opinion on social and environmental issues. The views expressed are personal.)

State Editions

BJP promises aspirational manifesto ahead of polls

21 December 2024 | Staff Reporter | Delhi

NDMC to host Winter Rose Show in Chanakyapuri this weekend

21 December 2024 | Staff Reporter | Delhi

Mahender Choudhary will contest Mehrauli for AAP

21 December 2024 | Pioneer News Service | Delhi

BJP accuses AAP of contempt over CAG reports

21 December 2024 | Pioneer News Service | Delhi

Sunday Edition

Celebrating the Rich Culture of Northeast India

15 December 2024 | Abhi Singhal | Agenda

A Taste of Tokyo in the Heart of Delhi

15 December 2024 | Team Agenda | Agenda

Basko: All-Day Culinary and Cocktail Experience

15 December 2024 | Team Agenda | Agenda

Unique Dual Dining Experience

15 December 2024 | Team Agenda | Agenda

A Peruvian Extravaganza

15 December 2024 | Team Agenda | Agenda

Regal Flavours of Lucknowi Dawat

15 December 2024 | Team Agenda | Agenda