The Karnataka Government has decided to convene a conference of Higher Education Ministers of all States and the Union Minister for Human Resources Development in Bengaluru to solve the many problems pertaining to higher education in India, TB Jayachandra, Minister for law, Parliamentary Affairs and Higher Education said.
Speaking at the celebration of the VIT University Day and Annual Sports Day at the VIT University campus in Vellore, Jayachandra said that the higher education scenario in India is fraught with many problems, the most important among them being the brain drain caused by the trend of meritorious students going out to countries such as the US, the UK and Australia for jobs.
“This brain drain should be stopped at any cost. Policy makers at the Central and State level should take steps to end the brain drain. On the other hand, we should attract students from other countries to India”, he said.
The Karnataka Minister said that though there are three crore students in India, the best education is not imparted to them. The gross enrollment ratio in India is just 24 per cent. This should be increased to at least 50 per cent by 2020. There is good talent in the rural areas, and steps should be taken to bring out this talent by offering higher education opportunities to the rural students.
It was presided over by Dr G Viswanathan, founder & chancellor, who wanted the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Human Resources Development to work together with countries where the population is shrinking, find out the manpower requirements of those countries and train the Indian students to meet the requirements. This will not only solve the manpower shortage of those countries but also ensure job opportunities to all those who complete their degrees in India.