From: mmurali@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg (Murali Damodaran)
Subject: Re: Nobel Prize & IITs
Organization: Nanyang Technological University - Singapore
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 07:50:55 GMT

Enclosed are some related excerpts taken from INDIA-D group.


Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 13:00:33 CDT
From: ganesh@ceet.niu.edu (Sriram Ganesh)
Subject: Brain Drain
 
Hi netters,
I subscribed to the net recently and have been following the discussions.
I found the discussion on brain drain quite interesting.  But I feel that
we have to consider another side of the problem also to get a complete
picture.  I think that India gains a lot from the NRIs.
When we send dollars to India  which I am sure each one of us do,
does not the Indian Government gain valuable foreign exchange which it
needs?  Also, many NRIs invest in existing Indian industries or start
new industries in India with their technical skills acquired from the
west.  Also, many Indians working in big companies pioneer the starting
of branches in India  which helps the Indian economy.  This would
provide more jobs to professionals who want to stay in India and work
for their motherland.  Moreover there is no dearth of engineers in India.
Still there are unemployed engineers who are looking for jobs. I donot
know about other fields .  Perhaps the picture is the same.  So what
should be done is to gather statistics about the benefits India
acquires from the brain drain of professionals. I think the benefits would
more than offset the amount spent on educating the professionals
who settle abroad.
Sincerely,
Sriram.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 23:55:48 CDT
From: ngopalas@ha14.eng.ua.edu (Nath S. Gopalaswamy)
Subject: Education Subsidies, some solutions.
 
I am glad that my posting evoked some sincere responses. This just goes to
show that not all are heartless souls who want to free-load on the system :-)
Let me address the points raised by individual posters. But first some back-
ground about myself. I am an IIT-M 91 graduate in Aerospace Engg. But the un-
fairness of our system compared to the tuition costs here has forced me to
realize how much our education is being subsidized, and that too a poor nation
like India!
 
Ganesh writes:
>I agree, and the most practical and useful form of payback is hard money.
>I'm not clear on the details, but I believe Singapore is one nation
>that gives people hell when their citizens apply for an American
>green card/citizenship. Perhaps there's someone from Singapore
>who's reading and can fill us in.

    <<<..comment on this from me: well this is not true at all.
Singapore "does not give hell" to those citizens applying for US green
card/citizenship.  Male citizens may face some objections because
of their liability to do reservist training with the military.
Migration of Singaporeans to US, UK, Australia, NZ
and Canada is an annual affair and is a problem of grave concern to
Singapore. The outflow is balanced by a steady inflow of talent from
outside into Singapore.>>>
 
This would be interesting too. This way those who plan to do a Ph.D, say, and
then return to India will not be affected, only those who want to work here
and get a green card/citizenship.
 
>Overall, your idea is valid. Implementation is going to present
>some interesting challenges, though.
One avenue is offered by the following poster.
 
Srinivasa rao K. <kalasapu@aecom.yu.edu> writes:
 
> Not only me but a large number of my friends who are doctors and Ph.D.
>scientists in the U.S system are favourble to the idea of pay back!
 
Great!
 
>The following are the suggestions
>1. Every one who settles abroad ( not only U.S ) should pay back at least
>1-3 lakshs of rupees to the college from where they obtained for their
>finla degree.
 
This amount seems arbitrary. More appropriate is how much the Govt spends on
each student, i.e., the extent of subsidy perstudent by the Govt. Any competent
research organization can find this out (eg. MARG).
 
>2. From the Indian Educvation system side -  The college or the institution
>should spend this money for the betterment of the facilityies at that
 
The Alumni association could determine how the money should be spent.Care should
be taken to see that the money spent acts in such a fashion as to proportiona-
tely reduce the amount the Govt has to put in.
 
>    We are in the process of generating public opinion and see that this
>become a part of the immigration process. later,  we are planning to press
>the Indian administartion to accepts to this kind of idea - money directly
>to the college or  institution.
 
I would be willing to help but since I am just a student with all the problems
of grad life :-) it would only be in a passive sense. Since you seem to be more
organized as well as professionals, I think you should take the lead in making
a petition to the Govt. I am sure there will be many persons like me who would
be delighted to follow such a lead and sign such a petition.
 
 
R BALACHANDRAN <BALACHANDR01@WILMA.WHARTON.UPENN.EDU>  writes:
 
>free riding on taxpayers' money. However, i disagree with the solution
>proposed ie. ask people to sign a contract or whatever to stay a few
 
Yes, paying back seems to be a much better compromise. That may have a much
better chance of acceptance by all parties.
 
>in opinion, the solution is to ask the students to pay for their education
>at the IITs (i fail to understand why students from fairly middle to
>upper middle class backgrounds cannot pay say Rs500 a month for the
>quality of education they get at the IITs; those students who really
>can't afford to pay can be assisted by scholarships or loans that
 
This is not possible. The Govt spends 2 lakhs per student in IITs and close to
1.1 lakhs for REC graduates. That would mean 50,000 Rs /year as tuition alone.
Lodging and boarding are extra and come to close to 7000/year. Since the average
income of most middle class families in India is that figure, it would mean that
no one could afford such an education. And if it is given as a loan, assuming
a payment of 1000/month (that is all you can save out of say 4,500/month) it
would take the student more than 15 years to pay back such a loan! Clearly an
unacceptable proposal. Only those emigrating should be taxed, not the ones who
stay back.
 
Nath.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 9:27:53 EDT
From: axp1253@hertz.njit.edu (anil prabhakar ee stnt)
Subject: Fees at IIT
 
After reading some of the responses to the discussion on IITs, I think it is
about time that someone educated the ignoramii about the current fee structure.
..................<stuff deleted>................. 
............... the fees at IIT
were hiked from 500/sem to 5000/sem . A similar hike occured in the fees at
IIM's . Of course, you may argue that it should be made higher. But, Rs5000
 for 4 months is Rs1250/- a month.  I think that is quite a substantial
amount of the monthly income from a middle class family. 
--
 Anil Prabhakar
 
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