PASSAGE 2 CBSE CLASS 12 ENGLISH

                             PASSAGE 2

Brain drain refers to the situation when highly qualified and trained people leave their own country to permanently settle down in some other country. It is also referred to as human capital flight.
The term emerged in 1960's when the skilled workforce started emigrating from the poor or developing countries to the first world countries (or developed countries) in search of better job opportunities. This is primarily due to the fact that developing countries like India have failed utterly in providing the right kind of opportunities to its youth.
This, in turn, is leading to a great loss of national wealth. In the past few decades, a lot of Indian professionals have migrated to other countries. The human capital in terms of skills, ideas, labour and intelligence is being transferred to countries abroad from India since ages. This has become a characteristic more of the intelligentsia of the nation — the doctors, engineers, scientists, MBA's, CA's, lawyers and other professionals.
Today, Indians constitute a majority in large American organisations like NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration). Additionally, studies show that Indians are one of the most hard working, dedicated and sincere workers. That is why various countries and companies readily take our nationals. The facilities, packages, scholarships etc provided by these nations are far better than what India can provide them. While this is the case of young students/professionals, the academically well-qualified people prefer going abroad for higher research because they don't get the best chances, resources and facilities for research in India.
The cut-offs for admissions have become close to 100% in the best Indian universities. While these universities are in the race for getting the best students, the ambitious youth fail to occupy seats in any of the prestigious Indian universities. This leads them to explore the scope of higher education abroad. Most of these students prefer staying back in the host country after completing their studies due to better work opportunities and heavy pay packages. So, after getting global exposure and getting introduced to high quality life and facilities, the students become reluctant to go back to the home country.
Awakening to this fact, the Indian Government is putting the best foot forward to curb brain drain. In tune with consistent economic growth, India will see robust hiring and there is an expected double-digit annual salary increase across all sectors—IT, manufacturing, finance, insurance and real estate.
Both government and private firms are aiming towards a better and friendlier atmosphere to create better conditions for their employees. Discrimination and bias at workplaces are checked by making laws and strictly implementing them. Incentives are given to stop youngsters from going abroad in search of work.
After witnessing a huge brain drain of doctors, the government was persuaded to take action. Now the medical students going abroad for higher studies will have to sign a bond with the government, promising to return to India after completing their studies. Policies to nurture higher education, better public service delivery and better sharing of data with the public (RTI) needs to be promoted to encourage a reverse brain drain. Moreover the government of the day needs to ensure good employment facilities for students by encouraging domestic and international investments in manufacturing, research and development. Our IT professionals and IIM graduates are the best in the world. Countries welcome them with open arms. We can use the best potential of the country to accelerate our own progress in socio-economic fields. We need to give deserving jobs to students who return to India after completing their education.
Questions

1. On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option.

• Which of the following is not an outcome of brain drain?

(a) Loss of national wealth                                                    (b) Better work opportunities
(c) Increase in human capital of a poor country (d) Loss in human capital of a poor country (if) How is our government stopping youngsters from going abroad?
(a) By providing incentives                                                    (b) By providing jobs
(c) By increasing salary       (d) All of these

1. Answers the following questions as briefly as possible.

• What led to the emergence of the term ‘brain drain’?
• How is India losing its national wealth?
• Why do professionals and academically qualified people get attracted towards countries like USA, UK, France etc?
• Why do students explore the scope of higher education in developed nations abroad?
• What steps have been taken by the Indian Government to address the issue of brain drain?
• How can the government encourage reverse brain drain?

1. Find the words in the given passage which convey the similar meaning to

• highly educated people as a group.
• strong and effective in all or most situations and conditions.

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                                Answers

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1. (i) (c) Increase of human capital of a poor country.

          (ii) (d) All of these

1. (i) The term ‘brain drain’ emerged in 1960's when the skilled workforce started emigrating from the poor or developing

countries to the first world countries or developed countries.
(ii) In the past few decades, a lot of Indian professionals have migrated to other countries. The human capital in terms of skills, ideas, labour and intelligence is being transferred to countries abroad from India since ages. A lot of doctors, engineers,' scientists etc are leaving, by which India is losing its national wealth.

• Professionals and academically qualified people get attracted to the facilities, packages, scholarships etc provided by these developed nations, as they are far better than what India can provide. The academically well qualified people prefer going abroad for higher research because they don't get the best chances, resources and facilities for research in India.
• In India the cut-offs for admissions have become close to 100% in the best universities. While the universities are in the race for getting the best students, the ambitious youth fail to occupy seats in any of the prestigious Indian universities. This leads them to explore the scope of higher education abroad.

(u) The government is aiming towards a better and friendlier atmosphere to create better conditions for its employees. Discrimination and bias at the workplaces is being checked by making laws and strictly implementing them. Incentives are given to stop youngsters from going abroad in search of work to address the issue of brain drain.
(vi) After witnessing a huge brain drain of doctors, the government was persuaded to take action. Now, the medical students going abroad for higher studies will have to sign a bond with the government, promising to return to India after completing their studies. Policies to nurture higher education, better public service delivery and better sharing of data with the public (RTI) needs to be promoted to encourage a reverse brain drain.
(i) Intelligentsia
(ii) Robust

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