ARE STUDIES ARE MORE BENEFICIAL IN INDIA OR ABROAD

INTRODUCTION:

India is well known for its large pool of technical manpower, a fair

proportion of which finds employment in developed countries, especially in the

West. As a happy sequel to the story, India has recently witnessed a big boom in

the BPO/KPO sector. In order to sustain this trend, and to ensure that India does

not throw away this key advantage, it is imperative that we continue to produce a

critical mass of highly skilled manpower at an accelerated pace. An enabling

academic and economic setting is a key factor determining the fate of our nation in

the wake of the knowledge sector boom.

STUDY IN INDIA

The fast integrating world economy and corresponding rise of students

mobility that have made studying in India an attractive option. There are a large

number of Indian as well as foreign students who apply every year to Indian

universities and colleges. For all those who wish to study in India, it is very

important to get prior and correct information about the courses that you would
like to undertake, the university you want to apply to and how to go about the

application procedure. For an international student, it is also important to know the

accommodation facilities, weather conditions, food habits and cost of living in the

city in which he or she intends to study.

Education in India

The education system in India has savored a special bond between the teacher

and the pupil since time unknown. In fact, India was the country to have

established what we know as the 'gurukul' system of education. However, with the

coming of the Britishers, English has become a part and parcel of Indian education

system. Today English is the third major medium of instruction in India after Hindi

andMarathi.

Advantages of studying in India

India is fast becoming a major economic power in the world today. And if

its growth trend continues for some more years, it would soon be playing a major

role in the world economy along with China. This itself has been a major cause of

attraction for many international students. Moreover, India's successful stint with

democracy (except the years between 1975-1977) has also been a major magnetic

force for scholars around the world. However, apart from knowing India well,
there are some other advantages that are attracting students to study in India. Some

of these are -

 Low Cost: The cost of education in India is quite low as compared to many

other countries of the world.

 Quality Education:Quality of education is not uniform throughout the

length and breath of the country. However, there are some educational

institutes in India that provide world class education.

 Financial Assistance: Various scholarships, education loans and other

financial aids are now available for studying in India today.

 Consultation Service: The governement of India provides consultation

service to the interested international students through Education

Consultants of India (Ed.CIL). Thus one can get all the information about

the Indian education system, cost of education, duration, visa,

accommodation facilities even before landing up in India.

 Unique Courses: Apart from above mentioned advantages, one can also

study some unique courses that were discovered and developed by the

traditional knowledge system of India. Ayurveda, Sankrit, Yoga, Hindi are

some such courses that enthuse many international sudents.

STUDY ABROAD

The term "study abroad" refers to options in international education available

to students wishing to obtain degrees from universities and colleges in other parts

of the world. Study abroad programs have the primary advantage of enabling the

student to develop a global perspective and international attitude. Besides, studying

abroad is an excellent opportunity to come into close contact with a totally

different culture, partake in their day-to-day life and return home with plenty of

cherished memories. With globalization, proficiency in another language and

culture will stand a student in good stead.

It is worthwhile to note that the most expert coaching in particular subjects

may be available in a country other than one's own. Study abroad program advisers

can assist one in selecting a country which best suits one's chosen area of study.

Students can choose from a wide range of programs encompassing art, business,

medicine, engineering, health, humanities, liberal arts and sciences. The courses

include graduate short-term and full-degree study abroad programs, and adult study

abroad programs.

Most of the study abroad courses are expensive, but various financial

resources are available for prospective students. These come in the form of loans

from banks and other financial institutions, as well as scholarships and internships.
Certain courses grant special concessions to women. Another important factor is to

get a suitable student insurance plan before enrolling in a study abroad program.

Familiarizing oneself with the customs and laws of the country one is going to is

also a prerequisite.

Abroad studies outside India play a large role in the Indian higher education

scene. They attract many thousands of Indian students to their campuses each year

— 80,466 Indians enrolled in U.S. institutions alone in 2004-05 and at least eight

other countries actively recruit Indian students. Graduates of accredited foreign

institutions play important roles in the development of India upon their return

home. Imagine what greater opportunities would be available to Indian students if

accredited foreign institutions offered degree programmes in India to expand

access to higher education to Indian students

Benefits of study abroad

Acadamic benefits

Students who pursue courses abroad, are found to have a much clearer

vision about their goals and way of achieving those. It helps foster greater inter-

cultural communication, understanding, and tolerance for students from different

academic or social backgrounds. You tend to develop a multidimensional view of

your studies and approaches, which helps in getting the concepts understood in an

excellent manner. In case, you are planning to learn foreign languages or some

cultural studies, going to the place where it is practiced, is the best form of

learning. It creates a mature perspective of life and certainly interesting prospect

for getting a globally acceptable Qualification

Social and cultural benefits

During the initial course of the study in a distant land, you may come

across people and places who are totally strangers, but turn to be very good friends

by the time the course is completed. You begin to appreciate different lifestyles

and develop some really useful contacts abroad. Helping nature, better team work,

knowing and respecting the manners and habits of self as well as other people, an

enhanced problem solving ability with respect to adaptability and performing well

on different platforms are some crucial and life changing experiences. You tend to

be several steps ahead of your colleagues and competitors in understanding

globalization and its impact on your own living

Personal and professional benefits

In your daily life at homeland, there might be a variety of individuals with

different sets of opinion, meeting you. Quite often, there are two categories of

people. One type is extremely critical of the local place and every aspect of life in

your country and the other would be certain people who believe that their (your)
country is the best in the world, thus avoiding other countries as though they are

simply not good to sustain life. Even you may fall in one of these categories. But

one of the biggest benefits of studying abroad is that you begin to realize in a much

clear and elaborate way, that no system in the world is perfect. It may foster a

deeper and a clearer knowledge of your own land. You appreciate certain ways of

life back home and at the same time learn from certain excellent living principles

of other nations.

Advantages and disadvantages of migration of Indians to abroad

The Migration of skilled individuals to other nations is referred to as the

brain drain or the human capital flight.This migration of talented individuals may

be due to conflicts,lack of opportunity,or health hazards where they are living.

In India brain drain is more because educated individuals are emigrating for

wages and better opportunities. It has been in our consciousness since 30 years and

many bright youngsters have emigrated mainly to US from early 1960s onwards

including a large fraction of the graduating class at IITs in India.

Advantages

 The money the emigrants have sent back home has helped in alleviating

poverty in their homes.

  It has resulted in less child labour,greater child schooling,more hours

worked in self employment and a higher rate of people starting capital

intensive enterprises.

 The money remittances have also reduced the level of severity of proverty.

 Moreover,the money migrants sent back are spent more in investments such

as education,health and housing,rather than on food and other goods.

Disadvantages

 Due to the influence of brain drain ,the investment in higher eductation is

lost as the highly educated person leaves India and becomes an asset to other

country

 Also,whether social capital the individual has been a part of is reduced by

his or her departure.

 A tremendous increase in wages of high-skill labour can be seen now in

India

 The emigration has also created innumerous problems in the public sector

CONCLUSION

Direct investment in the education sector by foreign institutions accredited

in their home countries offers the opportunity to expand access to higher education

within India. Entry of high quality foreign educational institutions may lead to
retention of Indian investment in the country of some of the funds now flowing

overseas. In addition to improving access by creating more seats, U.S. institutions,

known for preparing students for the job market both through coursework and

career preparation services, can enhance the quality and relevance of education to

contemporary India.

It is very important that the Government of India, or bodies authorised by

it, draw up clear regulations and procedures for foreign universities interested in

establishing linkages in India with Indian institutions and ensure transparent and

quick implementation. It is important that the regulations allow academic

autonomy and other features of U.S. higher education that have caused it to reach

its excellence. Foreign educational institutions and Indian partners must, of course,

respect the laws and regulations of the land.

Looking at entry of U.S. educational institutions in light of the issues that

Government of India has identified as crucial for India — equity and access;

relevance; quality and excellence; governance and management; and funding — it

is useful to see how these issues are managed by these institutions at home. For

U.S. institutions, quality control, governance and management are maintained

through the accreditation process for both institutions and professional

programmes.
 NASSCOM President, Kiran Karthik in a Seminar at Chennai on

'Knowledge Process Outsourcing - Generation Next' said that Indians have

neglected certain disciplines like econometrics and operations research. ‘Many

brighter students are moving away and we need to bring them back’. World Bank

in its latest report ‘India and the Knowledge Economy; Leveraging Strength and

Opportunities’ (Report number 31267-IN, April 2005) has concluded that while

India has made enormous strides in its economic and social development in the

past two decades, it can do much more to leverage its strengths in today’s

knowledge based global economy.