Lok Sabha Question No. 2759 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-05
Subject: Brain Drain
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: E. T. MOHAMMED BASHEER, KRISHNA RAJ, SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

**LOK SABHA**

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO . 2759

TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH AUGUST, 2015

**Brain Drain**

**2759** .  SHRI E.T. MOHAMMED BASHEER:

SHRIMATI KRISHNA RAJ:

SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARSWATI:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the ever increasing brain drain of highly educated and talented Indian citizens in search of better job opportunities abroad;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto; and

(c) whether any scheme has been formulated by the Government to check this brain drain and if so, the details thereof?

**ANSWER**

**MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT**

**(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)**

(a) & (b): Some students, scientists and academics do migrate to other countries for various reasons including financial and academic gains. There are students who come back after completing their education while others stay back in foreign countries after getting employment. In many cases, such persons, after working in a foreign country for a period of time, also return to India. Therefore no authentic figures of ‘brain drain’ out of the country can be reliably compiled.

(c): 	Yes, Madam. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has launched the scheme of Faculty Recharge Programme wherein candidates are selected through global advertisements.  Further, under the CV Raman Post-doctoral Fellowships Scheme the young faculty are attached to United States of America (USA) Universities to enable them to work with USA Scientists in their respective area of specialization.

To strengthen the infrastructure for quality teaching and research, UGC has introduced a number of schemes such as Special Assistance Programme (SAP), Universities with Potential for  Excellence (UPE), Basic Scientific Research Programme (BSR), Centres with Potential for Excellence in Particular Areas (CPEPA), Major and Minor Research Projects (MRP),  Colleges with Potential for Excellence (), Enhancing Faculty Resources of  Universities etc.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has informed that they have launched the Ramanujan Fellowship of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Ramalinga Swami re-entry Fellowship of Department of Bio-technology (DBT), which are targeted to attract highly skilled researchers (Indian nationals) working overseas by providing them attractive avenue to pursue their R&D interests in Indian institutions.

Under the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE), Indian citizens and people of Indian origin are offered contractual research positions in Indian institutions/universities to carry out independent research and emerge as a leader in future science & technology.  Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has a scheme to attract Scientists/Technologists of Indian Origin (STIO) under which they are appointed at an identified CSIR laboratory so as to nurture a research field in their area of expertise. The JC Bose Fellowship, Swarnajayanti Fellowship, Young Scientist Project Award, Women Scientist Scheme, National Women Bio-scientists Awards etc. have been designed to encourage individual scientists to do quality research in India. CSIR provides performance linked incentives to the awardees of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize. Some other incentive systems are: Sharing of proceeds with scientists from contractual R&D; and consultancy and premia & royalty received from the transfer of technology. Recently, the fellowships of Junior / Senior Research Fellows (JRF/SRF) and Research Associates (RA) have been enhanced substantially to the tune of 55 – 67% to attract more students to enroll themselves into research career.

The Government has also launched a programme titled the ‘Global Initiative for Academic Networks’ (GIAN) in higher education aimed at tapping the talent pool of scientists and entrepreneurs internationally to encourage their engagement with Indian higher educational institutions so as to augment the country’s existing academic resources, accelerate the pace of quality reform, and elevate India’s scientific and technological capacity to global excellence. GIAN includes participation of foreign faculty, including those of Indian origin, as faculty to participate in delivering short or semester-long courses.

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