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INTRODUCTION
The term 'Brain-drain' has come into vogue for describing the flight of talent from our country to another. Often, it is loosely employed to describe all migration of educated and talented persons to countries abroad in search of better careers even though their services may be badly needed in their native land, and thus, this exodus of talent, depletes a country's intellectual resources and tells on national life. However, the problem of 'Brain-drain' is not peculiar to the present age of ours. It existed even in medieval times when great conquerors carried away not only hoards of gold and rich treasures from the vanquished countries, but they also took away men of talent and genius as a matter of right. The only difference we see today is that now the talented and educated persons migrate of their own accord, attracted by the glitter and glamour of better salaries and amenities. After the Second World War, the stupendous advance made by U.S.A., U. S. S. R., Great Britain, Germany etc. in the field of scientific research began to attract men of science and from the underdeveloped countries to these advanced nations. One striking feature of this problem of Brain-drain is that it is a global phenomenon, affecting almost every country. India, too, has been facing this problem and it is discussed from time to time. The Drain of Skilled people from institutes like IITs,IIMs,etc to foreign countries like US, UK, Australia has many effects like the reducing of the economic development of the country. The IITs have consistently performed as institutions of world-class excellence in an otherwise mediocre higher educational system. IIT products have fared brilliantly in advanced sectors of the global economy, but has India benefited anywhere near enough? This report thus aims at understanding this process of brain drain in India, the reasons for the migration of some of the most talented and technically proficient group of individuals from our country and their life overseas. In this context the advantages, luxuries and liberties of staying in a foreign land are and factors owing to ones decision of settling abroad are discussed. talent from other Countries. This accounted in the main for the flight or defection of talent

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The much recent trend of reverse brain drain also finds its way into this report. The various negative and positive effects of brain drain are discussed before coming to a consensus about its net impact on our countrys economy. The purpose of this report remains unfulfilled without a discussion on the possible solutions to the problem of brain drain which are listed in recommendations. Much of the information that has been used to write this report has been taken from the articles, reports, write-ups, essays and group discussions available on the internet. Articles from the journals available online have also been a great source of information. The data has been collected and presented in logical sequence keeping in view the recent changes and trends in the brain drain phenomenon.

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UNDERSTANDING BRAIN DRAIN

THE MEANING
Human capital flight, more commonly referred to as "brain drain", is the large-scale emigration of a large group of individuals with technical skills or knowledge from a region. Brain Drain can occur either when individuals who study abroad & do not return to their home country after completion of the education or when individuals educated in their home country emigrate for higher wages or better opportunities.

ORIGIN OF THE TERM

The term brain drain was coined by the Royal Society to describe the emigration of "scientists and technologists" to North America from post-war Europe. Another source indicates that this term was first used in the United Kingdom to describe the influx of Indian scientists and engineers. Although the term originally referred to technology workers leaving a nation, the meaning has broadened into: "the departure of educated or professional people from one country, economic sector, or field for another, usually for better pay or living conditions". There are numerous flows of skilled and trained persons from developing countries where marketable skills are not financially rewarded, to developed countries. In these flow usually Engineers, Medical personnel, Scientists predominate. Brain drain is usually regarded as an economic cost, since emigrants usually take with them the fraction of value of their training sponsored by the government or other organizations. It is a parallel of capital flight, which refers to the same movement of financial capital. Brain drain is often associated with de-skilling of emigrants in their country of destination, while their country of emigration experiences the draining of skilled individuals.

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CAUSES FOR BRAIN DRAIN

Generally brain drain occurs due to two main factors. They are 1)Push factors 2)Pull factors

The PUSH FACTORS

Under employement : Economic under development Political instability Lack of research and other facilities for students striving to pursue higher education in our own country Lack of professional/creative freedom Discrimination in appointment and promotion Poor working facilities Lack of scientific tradition and culture Desire for a better urban life Desire for higher qualification and recognition Better career expectation Lack of satisfactory working conditions

THE PULL FACTORS

Better economic prospects such as higher salary and income in the developed countries like the United States. Higher standard of living and way of life. Better research facilities Modern educational system and better opportunity for higher qualifications. Prestige of Foreign training Intellectual freedom

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Better working conditions including better feedback mechanism for the employees to address their professional/personal issues. Relative political stability Presence of a rich scientific tradition. Attraction to urban centre Availability of experience/supporting staff Frequent chances of a lucky break in life Allocation of substantial funds for research.

PERSONAL INFLUENCE
Spouse: sometimes the decision to go abroad (usually in case of women) is governed by the presence of spouses job base in foreign countries. Presence of other family members in developed countries also influences the decision of the individual while taking up a job abroad. Friends or colleagues abroad also increase the chances of up taking a job or a higher degree education program abroad.

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IITs and the BRAIN DRAIN

The India Institutes of Technology are premier institutes of technology in India. They have long had a reputation of being among the very best engineering institutions in the world. The astounding international success of IIT alumni suggests that there are very few institutions that can rival the IIT system in the calibre of graduates produced .The IITs are

the alma mater to some of the most influential entrepreneurs, executives and managers in the world.
Nandan Nilekeni, Infosys Managing Director; Rajat Gupta, Managing Director of McKinsey & Company; venture capitalist Kanwal Rekhi, founder of Excelan; Vinod Khosla, partner in Kleiner Perkins and co-founder of Sun Microsystems; Gururaj Deshpande, founder of Sycamore Networks; Victor Menezes, Senior Vice-Chairman of Citigroup; Rakesh Gangwal, former CEO of U.S. Airways; Venky Harinarayan and Rakesh Mathur, co-founders of Junglee.com; Vinod Gupta, founder and chairman of InfoUSA; Rono Dutta, President of United Airlines; Arun Sarin, who is set to be the Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone in June 2003; M.S. Banga, Chairman, Hindustan Lever; and 2002 Magsaysay Award winner Sandeep Pandey are all IIT undergraduate products. As though this were not enough, Infosys founder, former Chairman and current Chief Mentor, N.R. Narayanamurthy, received his post-graduate training at IIT Kanpur. A study by University of California (Berkeley) Professor Anna Lee Saxenian indicates that approximately 10 per cent of all start-ups in Silicon Valley between 1995 and 1998 were by Indians, most of who had come from the IIT system. It has been suggested that the IITs have, perhaps, produced more millionaires per capita than any other undergraduate academic institution in the world. It is not surprising that most of the IITs' successful alumni credit their alma mater with playing a foundational or leading role in their achievements. Tremendous career success in the U.S. is testament to the fact that the IIT graduate is a highly competitive product in the global marketplace. No wonder then that the IIT graduate has been termed often enough India's hottest export. An IIT degree is considered to be a sure

ticket to the U.S. A popular joke of the 1980s suggested that IIT students had one foot in

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India and the other in Air India. There can be no question that the brain drain results in
India losing its brightest academic talent.

The Real Brain Drain by Professor S.P. Sukhatme of IIT Bombay (Orient Longman, Bombay,
1994) revealed that 30.8 per cent of alumni who graduated from the institution during the period 1973-77 had settled abroad. It is likely that close to half the annual undergraduate output of the s IITs, that is, anything between 1,500 and 2,000 young men and women, go abroad every year overwhelmingly to the U.S. The Economist (September 26, 2002) cited a survey that found that over 80 per cent of Indian students in the U.S. planned to stay on after the completion of their studies. The survey also revealed that Indians students were more likely to remain in the U.S. after higher studies than students from any other country. There has also been a trend observed in the number of students migrating from each stream of engineering. The migration rates were significantly higher in those branches of engineering that attracted the highest ranked entrants to the IITs. It also currently estimated that in the popular computer science stream, almost 80 per cent migrated to the U.S. In short, the crme de la crme of India's educational talent has been emigrating.

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Does it matter that the academically brightest leave in large numbers?

It has been suggested that in this new global economy, labour should be able to exercise its skills where the reward is greatest. However, there seems to be strong evidence to suggest that the loss of the skilled can be very harmful to developing countries. The one million India-born currently living in the U.S. constitute a mere 0.1 per cent of India's population. However, they account for 10 per cent of India's national income. While these migrants might have earned lower salaries at home, they still represent lost tax income. The Economic Times (January 2003), estimated that IITians in the U.S. have a combined net worth of approximately $30 billion. A high-end estimate of India's loss from the migration of software professionals, many of whom are IIT graduates, is as much as $2 billion a year. One of the biggest achievements of the IITs is that they have provided world-class education at a cost relatively affordable to the average middle class family. Without government funding of these "institutions of national importance,'' most IIT students would probably not have been able to afford such high quality education. The generous subsidies given to the IITs have also allowed them to attract students from all over India. In a recently released report from the Union HRD Ministry about fee structure in IIT s said that an average of 8 Lakh is spent on every student for a 4-year BE course against the meagre 2 Lakh paid by the student. This means that for every student who studies in the IIT and moves abroad to work for MNCs there is a loss of 6 Lakh rupees for the Indian government. Currently the tuition, room and board for a four-year B.Tech course at IIT is estimated to cost a student Rs.70, 000 ($1458) a year which by contrast is much less to compared to the annual fees paid by a student of The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (approximately $36, 030) (Data for the year 2002-2003). Compared with the cost of an MIT undergraduate education, IIT costs are small change. Informed observers such as P.V. Indiresan have suggested that the typical IIT student is in need of more financial assistance than the typical MIT undergraduate since the cost per year of MIT undergraduate education is almost equal to the current U.S. per capita income

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while the cost of an IIT education works out to much higher than the level of India's per capita income. However, it needs to be noted that the total cost of an IIT education is far less than the amount an IIT graduate who works abroad can expect to earn within months. The IITs thus involve a considerable burden to the Indian taxpayer and this raises the important question of how the country should direct its educational investment. Coming to the question of educational priorities, are sections of society being denied access to primary education on account of significant Central Government funding to the IITs? Estimates of the IITs' heavy contribution to the brain drain, would suggest that the money spent on the IITs can be better utilized in primary education which receives a grossly inadequate funding from the state governments.

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DECISION TO GO ABROAD
The IITs and IIMs are the premiere institutes in India. The students studied there become technically and professionally sound. This gives them confidence and urge to go for further studies abroad. Advanced nature of IIT curriculum, wider options in courses and research conditions are prime reasons to go abroad. The most common reasons for students of IITs and IIMs to go abroad are: Better opportunities and career The industries and research institutes offer high salaries to the talented people as such IIT and IIM students opt for jobs in foreign countries. Many of the alumni of IITs and IIMs already settled abroad in good position are the source of inspiration and guidance to the young students. Higher studies and research because of good academic facilities. India still doesnt have faculty for advanced study and facilities for research compared to the US and western countries. The top 100 ranked universities are also in those countries. The foreign countries increased visa permits as their economy needed best of the brains. Particularly the US has increased visa permit quota from 10,000(in 90s) to more than 100,000(today). Many foreign universities offer scholarships to the talented students with better facilities for higher education and research .This has given opportunity to many aspirants to go abroad particularly students of IITs and IIMs. 3. Better living conditions also play an influential role. There are many constraints in India .The open system, transparency and good atmosphere abroad are other reasons for brain drain.

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DECISION TO SETTLE ABROAD AND LIFE OVERSEAS

An overwhelming majority of IIT and IIM students go abroad for scientific or technological education which gives them a platform to prove themselves, achieve success and get satisfaction for their intellectual urge. The Indian and foreign countries policies such as dual citizenship, NRI status allow them to settle with ease. The people who choose unconventional fields not available in India obviously have to settle in the host country. So they were compelled to settle abroad in the field of their expertise. The rich economies of foreign countries offer high salaries, which gives them financial security. Most of the students are from middle class economic background and thus they have responsibility of their families. The higher salaries allow them to support their families financially. Individuals often find that they have better usage of their skills abroad because of better facilities and opportunities for their professional and individual growth, the proper guidance for their career and better educational/work experience encounterance. All this gives the people settled abroad a better job satisfaction. The organizations are employee friendly and employ fair means .The policies abroad for higher positions and salaries are based on merit. The procedures are also transparent which gives chances to the talented people contrary to what happens in India. The living conditions and environment are another factor to settle abroad. Comfortable standard of living, easy access to good educational facilities for their kids; clean & healthy environment; sense of fairness & justice; commitment to the first rate technology are the advantages of life overseas. Increased technology of internet, telecommunication and transport facilities allow them to interact with their families and friends in India easily.

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Lakhs of Indians already settled abroad create a native atmosphere and give them cultural bondage As a result of all these above stated factors most of the IITIANS prefer to settle down in turn leading to the growth & prosperity of that country because of their creative & technically skilled work devoted to their respective professions which results in more BRAIN-DRAIN from the country and thereby reducing the technical and economical development of our country.

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IS BRAIN DRAIN GOOD FOR INDIA?

The Human Development Report (HDR) points out that there may be several positive effects of migration. According to the HDR, the Indian Diaspora has enhanced the reputation of India in Silicon Valley by "creating a sort of branding. Indian nationality for a software programmer sends a signal of quality just as a `made in Japan' label signals first-class consumer electronics." Much of the credit should go to IITians in this regard. The report also points out that the worldwide network of Indian professionals has helped raise the endowments of some of India's higher educational institutions. IIT alumni have begun to make large donations to their alma mater. The HDR maintains that the diaspora has had direct effects on India's information technology sector, particularly by creating jobs through the development of "back offices" and "manufacturing facilities" in India. A country that loses workers often gains some income through remittances from these workers. In fact when asked about his opinion on the brain drain phenomenon, Dr. A.P.J

ABDUL KALAM said that the 25 million Indians abroad going for wealth creation who have

a strong connection to India is a gain for us. In a globalised market, people will come and go. Many foreigners will come here too. Experienced individuals working abroad when return back bring with themselves new ideas to work which is a big boon.

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CHANGING TRENDS IN RECENT YEARS- REVERSE BRAIN DRAIN

Brain drain seems to be set for a role reversal in the recent years. The country's great minds are flocking back to the resilient economy that has withstood the global meltdown. The year 2010 saw as many as 60,000 Indian professionals who had settled in the USA, return to India with the economic depression naming loss of jobs as the crucial factor for coming home. The shortage in the supply of talent and the economical boom in India is serving as the icing on the cake. It seems to be attracting and bringing the best talent back to India. Many, who went abroad, gained superior skills and knowledge that they are bringing back home to work in foreign and Indian MNCs, or starting their own businesses. Some people are going abroad to gain better knowledge and are coming back with fresh ideas and setting up new companies and providing job opportunities to many. Even those who were settled abroad for 10-15 years are coming back for better future here. They believe that a lot has to be done to make our Country a Superpower in the Global Arena. The charm of the US is wearing off. India's own Silicon Valleys are now at the forefront of innovation and they are attracting its shining lights back home from the US. The reverse brain drain trend is slowly becoming common. Some Indians are attracted by the Indian culture, while most of the returnees say the gap in salaries in the two countries has been steadily decreasing. Jobs are aplenty in India and now venture capitalists are also available, so capital for start-up ventures for new entrepreneurs is easily available in India.

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CONCLUSION
Though some view brain drain as an advantageous phenomenon to the country, the advantages are far few and debatable in nature. It has been argued that highly educated professionals tend to account for little in terms of remittances to the country. The skilled are more likely to emigrate with their families and more easily integrate into their new country and, hence, are less likely to send back remittances. Skilled Indian professionals in the U.S. have also failed, by and large, to contribute large levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) required by India. While benefits such as remittances and FDI inflow seem to accrue in some degree, it is hard to imagine that such contributions are capable of offsetting the tremendous potential tax and productivity loss caused to India by the brain drain. The phenomenon of reverse brain drain too is fairly recent and applies to fewer numbers of individuals as compared to the vast majority still involved in brain drain. The occurrence of reverse brain drain mostly depends on the state of the countrys development, and also strategies and planning over a long period of time to reverse the migration. This would also require these countries to develop an environment which will provide rewarding opportunities for those who have attained the knowledge and skills from overseas.

In the final analysis, there is little doubt that India is a net loser from the migration of its best-educated brains.
Thus it is important for a developing country like India to take preventive measures and ensure that the phenomenon of brain drain is monitored and reduced. Ultimately the economy of a country that has a large number of world-class scientists and technicians tends to be more innovative than the others that dont.

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RECOMMENDATIONS
"No man's genius, however shining, can raise him from obscurity unless he has industry, opportunity and also a patron to recommend him." PLINY, the Younger.

Talents play important roles in helping a country develop. Different areas and nations have distinct policies to retain skilled workers due to the different national or regional situation. So,how then can India recover some of the resources it loses when IITians and other highly skilled people emigrate? It is impractical and undemocratic to place restrictions on them. In the long run, only a change in the existing economic, political and social situation in the country can prevent large-scale migration of the skilled. The government has the capacity to provide more incentives to encourage people to stay. We can reduce Brain Drain from the IITs if we could succeed in implementing a law such that every student who studied in it should work in India for a minimum of 4 to 5 years so that his/her technical and creative skills can be used for the countrys development and also there wont be any loss of money that is being spent by the government on the person. An important alternative solution may also lie in the system of educational funding. Instead of providing a large subsidy to IIT graduates, the government could replace some portion of this subsidy with a loan. This loan can then be written off if the graduate chooses to remain and work in India after completion of his or her studies. Many years ago, the economist Jagdish Bhagwati suggested a small tax on expatriates. India could also consider the U.S. model of taxation, where citizens are taxed on the basis of nationality and not residence. A small flat tax of 1 or 2 per cent on the income earned by Indian nationals living outside the country will still yield sizeable revenues to India. However, such taxation often requires multilateral cooperation and may not even be feasible.

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Many who go abroad for further studies tend to remain abroad. With this in mind, the IITs need to improve the quality of post-graduate education they offer and greatly strengthen the research they do. Currently, relatively few IIT undergraduates continue in the IIT system for post-graduate education and research. To an extent, these post-graduate courses seem to be designed to bring to speed those who have received undergraduate training elsewhere, and to fill the void left by other science and technology educational institutions. Improving the status of faculty and aiding research might result in more IIT B. Tech. students remaining in India to become academics. There have been suggestions that the IITs need to reconsider the number of undergraduates they admit. While only 2 to 3 per cent of those who appear for the JEE are currently admitted to undergraduate courses, there seems to be scope for increasing this number. The conservative counter-argument is that an increase in the IIT undergraduate output will dilute the quality of the product as well as the brand. This issue needs to be debated within and outside the IIT system. The country is likely to benefit if the IITs can tap this larger pool while maintaining their high standards. If the number of IIT students is increased, there is a greater chance that more graduates will remain in India. Also a developing country like India should ameliorate the working conditions of scientists and equip the laboratories with latest technology. In order to combat the problem of unemployment, more job opportunities must be created. The trained and experienced individuals returning to India from abroad could become entrepreneurs and set up small scale industries creating more jobs. IF this is done, we could develop our country, increase per capita income and a way to show our gratitude and patriotic feeling towards our country.

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REFERENCES
Web sources:

o http://www.jstor.org/stable/4378638?seq=3&Search=yes&searchText=india&searchT ext=drain&searchText=brain&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3F Query%3D%2528brain%2Bdrain%2529%2Bindia%26Search%3DSearch%26gw%3 Djtx%26prq%3D%2528brain%2Bdrain%2529%26hp%3D25%26acc%3Don%26aor i%3Da%26wc%3Don%26fc%3Doff&prevSearch=&item=4&ttl=3508&returnArticleSe rvice=showFullText&resultsServiceName=null.web o http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-what-india-should-doto-stop-brain-drain/20110621.htm.web o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_drain o www.indiabix.com/group-discussion/brain-drain-has-to-be-stopped/ o www.preservearticles.com/201103254685/essay-on-brain-drain.html o www.slidesshare.net/coolabhi/brain-drain-presentation o www.flonnet.com/fl2003/stories/20030214007506500.htm o www.thegeminigeek.com/what-is-brain-drain/ o http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-01-26/india/28371401_1_braindrain-top-indian-minds-resilient-economy