[Answered] How far, in your opinion, policy initiatives in India have been successful in halting the flight of students and capital to foreign universities?

Steps taken by the government to halt the flight of students and capital India is second only to China in number of students that go abroad for higher studies. A recent report estimates that about 8 lakh students travel abroad for higher education every year and spend $28 billion or 1 per cent of our GDP on this.

• Creation of new Higher Education Institutions: Government in the last two decades opened several New IITs, IIMs and Central Universities to increase the number of seats in elite Institutions.
• Institute of Eminence: The government aimed to establish 20 world-class institutes (Both public and private) by giving them greater autonomy to decide fees, course durations, collaboration with foreign universities and governance structures etc.
• National Education Policy, 2020: The academic bank of credit under the NEP, 2020, Single regulator for higher education.
• VAJRA faculty scheme: To attract foreign scientists and academicians to work as adjunct faculty in the government-funded academic and research institutions.
• RISE and EQUIP schemes: These schemes help tackle prominent Higher education challenges. While RISE helps in providing funds to boost infrastructure in educational institutions, EQUIP helps in developing education through various means.
• Study in India Scheme: To attract international students and subsequently, improve global reputation and rankings of Indian educational institutions. By providing meritorious foreign students fee waiver and scholarship.
• Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA): To mobilize resources from the market and provides financial assistance for creation of educational infrastructure and R&D in India’s premier educational Institutions.

However, the Indian Higher education system still faces the following issues which nudges students to foreign universities.

• Lack of good job prospects: India graduated about 30 lakh students last year from about 45,000 colleges. Which is much higher than the number of decently paying jobs available.
• Seat- aspirant mismatch in higher education institutions: There is a big mismatch in the number of seats available and number of aspiring students especially at elite institutions.
• Research avenues: Indian universities lag behind their global competitors in meaningful research projects. The avenues and funding available in India for research are limited which nudges students to go for foreign universities.
• Lack of infrastructure: Barring the few elite institutions, India HEIs particularly the institutes run by the public sector suffer from poor physical facilities and infrastructure.
• Quality of education: There is a big mismatch in university curriculum and industry requirement which restricts the ability of students to get meaningful jobs. The options of study in new and upcoming areas are limited to elite institutions.

With the globalization of higher education, student migration from one country is not problematic if the outmigration is complemented by the immigration of students. India needs to improve the condition of Higher education, to ensure it becomes attractive to both Indian as well as foreign students.