Reversing the brain drain

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JUNE 19.

For years now products of the Indian educational system -- students and professionals have been going abroad in search of distant horizons. It's now India's turn to reverse the `brain drain'.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development has taken the strategic initiative to ``internationalise Indian education in a big way.'' As part of the this overall drive the Ministry, with the assistance of Educational Consultants India Limited (Ed.CIL), today launched an educational portal www.educationindia4u.com at India International Centre.

``What we are looking to provide is comprehensive information at the students' fingertips who are living abroad,'' said Dr.Yajulu Medury, Chairman of Ed.CIL, adding: ``We want to act as long-term career guides to foreign students not just a one-time facility.''

Currently around 161 educational institutions are a part of this portal which includes names like Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Management (IIMs), Regional Engineering Colleges, Madras University, Pune University etc.

The website takes a student on a round-India educational trip. The tour commences with why the student should choose India as an academic destination. Listing the ``excellent educational facilities in India'', the portal particularly highlights the cost-effective nature of the Indian education, the international acceptance and recognition that it enjoys and the fact that ``India is a democratic country and offers a safe and stable political environment.''

The Charge d' Affairs, Embassy of Rwanda, Mr.Gaspard Nyilinkindi, pointed out that ``The standard of Indian education is very high especially in Information Technology and is the very cheap, at around 4000 dollars a year.'' On the other hand, Syrian Ambassador to India, Dr.Mohsen Al-Khayer, said ``Being a rich nation we can afford to send our students to Western countries. However we prefer India because of its high academic standards and because we share a common culture.''

The student can access the information on universities and courses through ``advanced customised searches'' for locating universities and courses, finding out financial aid resources, career options, training modules and other services. Students can fill online applications for various universities available on the website''. Mr.Samrat Bhattacharya, Assistant Manager, Ed.CIL, said: ``Ed.CIL (through the site) receives applications and forwards them to universities and transports the processed application back to the student.''

According to the Secretary, Department of Secondary and High Education, Mr. Maharaj Krishen Kaw, the portal which this year is targetting students of countries of Africa as well as others like Mauritius, Gulf region, Malaysia and Indonesia, is a step taken in the ``larger diplomatic interest of forging closer relations with these countries.''He explains ``We have also instructed universities to have a 15 percent quota for foreign students with priority to people of Indian origins.''

But there are a few academicians who express a note of warning. ``We shouldn't be too euphoric at the creation of the site thinking it would bring a cascade of foreign students to India. There is need for aggressive advertising of this portal abroad'' cautioned Mr. Syed Shahid Mahdi, Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Milia Islamia.

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