Reversing ‘brain drain’ is important to change the landscape of Indian Science & Technology and to support excellence in scientific research in India. Enumerate the initiatives of the Indian government over the past few years to reverse the process of ‘brain drain’ from the country.

Reversing ‘brain drain’ is important to change the landscape of Indian Science & Technology and to support excellence in scientific research in India. Enumerate the initiatives of the Indian government over the past few years to reverse the process of ‘brain drain’ from the country. 

(10 marks, 150 words) Answer:

Brain drain describes migration of skilled workforce from developing countries to developed ones for better professional opportunities. India has seen brain drain since its Independence, more prominently among engineers, scientists and doctors. 

Importance of reversing Brain Drain:

Scientists who had left India for better opportunities have, over the years, gained vital exposure to the best global research labs. PM Modi called it "brain deposit" that would serve its motherland at an appropriate time. To this end, over the past decade, the government is focusing on devising more opportunities for making fullest use of Indian scientific talent to work in Indian academia & scientific research institutions and laboratories.

Initiatives in this regard:

Government of India is implementing several initiatives to attract Indian scientists who have settled in various parts of the world for pursuing scientific research in India in their respective field of expertise as well as in home country research programs.

•        “Ramanujan Fellowships” and INSPIRE Faculty Scheme: The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has been implementing these two schemes.

o   “Ramanujan Fellowships”: to attract brilliant scientists and engineers from all over the world to take up scientific research positions in India, with fellowship and Research Grant.

o   “Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)”: Scientists within 32 years of age and who have completed their doctoral research from any recognized university/ academic institution in the world, recognized as “INSPIRE Faculty Awardee” receives fellowship and Research Grant.

•        The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has been implementing three schemes to encourage researchers and scientists working abroad to find work opportunities in India  Ramalingaswamy Re-entry Fellowship, Welcome-DBT India Alliance and Young Investigator Meet (YIM).

•        STIO: The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has conceptualized and made operational a scheme to attract scientists/technologists of Indian origin (STIOs), who are given a designation of “Outstanding Scientists, STIO”. They are appointed at an identified CSIR laboratory so as to nurture a research field in their area of expertise.

•        Science clusters: The Department of Biotechnology has started three major new science clusters in the National Capital Region (NCR), Mohali and Bangalore; and have expanded its institutional and other programs to provide excellent opportunities and working environment to attract he best Indian scientists working abroad to work in India.

•        The Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) scheme is aimed at attracting undergraduate-dual degree programs in Science and Technology streams from IIEST/IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERs and centrally funded IIITs to full time Ph.D. programme in the IITs & IISc.

•        Others: Several new schemes have been launched to encourage and attract the scientific community to engage in R&D activities. Some of these new schemes are: Early Career Research Award; National Postdoctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) Scheme; Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) Faculty Scheme etc.

Conclusion:

The schemes launched to reverse the process of infamous ‘brain drain’ have started yielding results. The number of young scientists returning to do scientific research in India and taking up positions in research and academic institutions is steadily rising. The quality of research output of these returnees is also very high. However, Not all researchers who return get absorbed as full-time faculty in institutions of their choice due to limited, institutional capacity to absorb all of them. For India to attract the upper echelon of Indian-origin scientists to set up labs and move their research here, we need to provide them with more opportunities and resources like China has done.