Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has expressed concern over the increasing brain drain plaguing the country and dubbed the rising trend of Indian students opting to study abroad as a “new disease” which is burdening the nation. Dhankhar also raised concerns over the increasing commercialization of education which he said was degrading its quality.
“There is a new disease of going abroad for studies. I am addressing the children here. Parents seldom get counselling before sending their kids abroad for studies. The child is eager to go because he feels like its a new dream, and thinks they will find heaven as soon as they get there,” Dhankar said while addressing an event to mark the silver jubilee celebrations of Sobhasaria Group of Institutions in Sikar, Rajasthan on Saturday.
The Vice-President asserted that there was no assessment of the foreign institutions or the country where the children go for studies but only “a blind race to go abroad.”
” You will be surprised, how much boys and girls between the ages of 18 to 25 get influenced by fancy advertisements. In 2024, 13 lakh students went abroad. What will happen to their future is being assessed,” he said.
Dhankhar revealed that the brain drain was also hurting the country economically and has cost over $6 billion to India’s foreign exchange reserves. “Think about it, if those $6 billion were used to improve the infrastructure of our own educational institutions, there condition would have been much better.”
The Vice President also flagged the rampant commercialisation of education which he said is adversely impacting its quality, stressing that the trend is not good for the future of the nation.
“I see all around that what began as charitable work has now become commerce. Education becoming a business is not good for the future of the nation,” he said.
Stating that education was never a source of income but a medium of sacrifice and charity to build a healthy society, Dhankhar rued that today it has become a commodity which is being sold for profit, thus adversely impacting its quality.
“In some cases, it is even taking the shape of extortion. This is a matter of concern,” he said.
“While educational institutions should be financially sustainable, it is the responsibility of the industry to nurture them from time to time. Corporate houses should use their CSR funds liberally to build institutions and fund new courses. This will help the nation progress,” Dhankhar said.
(With inputs from agencies)
“There is a new disease of going abroad for studies. I am addressing the children here. Parents seldom get counselling before sending their kids abroad for studies. The child is eager to go because he feels like its a new dream, and thinks they will find heaven as soon as they get there,” Dhankar said while addressing an event to mark the silver jubilee celebrations of Sobhasaria Group of Institutions in Sikar, Rajasthan on Saturday.
The Vice-President asserted that there was no assessment of the foreign institutions or the country where the children go for studies but only “a blind race to go abroad.”
” You will be surprised, how much boys and girls between the ages of 18 to 25 get influenced by fancy advertisements. In 2024, 13 lakh students went abroad. What will happen to their future is being assessed,” he said.
Dhankhar revealed that the brain drain was also hurting the country economically and has cost over $6 billion to India’s foreign exchange reserves. “Think about it, if those $6 billion were used to improve the infrastructure of our own educational institutions, there condition would have been much better.”
Commercialisation degrading education quality
The Vice President also flagged the rampant commercialisation of education which he said is adversely impacting its quality, stressing that the trend is not good for the future of the nation.
“I see all around that what began as charitable work has now become commerce. Education becoming a business is not good for the future of the nation,” he said.
Stating that education was never a source of income but a medium of sacrifice and charity to build a healthy society, Dhankhar rued that today it has become a commodity which is being sold for profit, thus adversely impacting its quality.
“In some cases, it is even taking the shape of extortion. This is a matter of concern,” he said.
“While educational institutions should be financially sustainable, it is the responsibility of the industry to nurture them from time to time. Corporate houses should use their CSR funds liberally to build institutions and fund new courses. This will help the nation progress,” Dhankhar said.
(With inputs from agencies)