Acknowledging the problem of brain drain, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said the Government is taking several steps to deal with issues including offering scholarships to the top 500 students. The Government is also coming up with plans to reform the engineering sector, Javadekar said in the lok Sabha while replying to a debate on a Bill that grants the status of national importance to the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) at Tirupati and Berhampur.
The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, which seeks to amend the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act, 2007 (NITSER Act), was later passed by the lok Sabha.
While speaking about a host of issues related to education, Javadekar accepted that there was a problem of brain drain in the country. As part of measures to check it, he said 500 top students of the country are being offered `75,000 as scholarship under PM Scholarship Scheme.
“We have started this and this will put a check on the brain drain and help the country in preserving its talent,” the HRD Minister said. Speaking about the engineering education, he said many colleges had produced engineers who were not employable as they lacked skills.
Around 400 such engineering colleges were closed down as they were not good, he said, adding, “The Bad will go but the good will remain in the system.” He said the Government is coming up with the plans to reform the engineering sector.
In a bid to improve the quality of eduction, he said that a number of professors from overseas had been invited to India and this year around 600 professors from abroad were likely to visit the country.
Underlining the need for high quality inventions in the country, Javadekar said around 400 start-ups have been launched by IIT students in their hostel rooms. “The nation will progress if there is research,” he said.
Talking about the Bill, the Minister said changes will enable two institutes — one at Berhampur and the other at Tirupati — to be governed by the legislation. With the passage of the Bill, the number of IISER will go up to seven from the existing five, he said.