From Homeland to Horizons – The Indian Reality of Migration in 2024
One of the major trends in society’s choice to pursue education and career is migrating from one’s homeland to places with a wider scope of practice and income range. In countries such as India, it started when people migrated to get more wages for their skilled labour. But as years passed, as their expertise range widened, involving more in the fields of medicine, engineering, and information technology, people started migrating to developed countries for the need to enhance their knowledge, a change in lifestyle, to secure higher roles, or even as a status criterion!
From the work and inspiration of Professor Binod Khadria, who specialized in international migration, at the turn of the 21st century, people chose the location to migrate with distinct requirements. It was either a labour migration to the Gulf countries or the highly skilled workforce of the multinational companies in Western countries such as the United States of America. Since 2010, students have also migrated to pursue higher education in their field of interest. Especially in recent years, the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields have pulled in huge numbers of immigrants for education and work, causing the ‘brain drain’ effect of losing potential citizens of native to foreign opportunities.
The Indian Government assessing the shifts and addressing the factors that were causing a brain drain in the country, as a first step had updated the National Education Policy (NEP) (2024), which now highlights the inclusion of a higher quality education via collaboration with international universities and setting up research centers and remote education programs to avoid the need for students to migrate to pursue their desired quality of education. This policy also allows students access to research grants and fellowships, especially in the STEM field to enhance research opportunities in India. Vocational skill development via internships, and fellowships even with incentives in the field of interest is another aspect included in this new policy, to retain students who complete their education. The NEP also aims to integrate technology into all aspects of education, from primary to higher education, including the use of digital platforms and online learning tools, overall reducing the gap between Indian education and global standards, making India a more attractive destination for students who might otherwise have gone abroad for education.
Another huge step by the government was the expansion of the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) Scheme. Launched by the honorable Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi in 2018, it was created to provide financial and academic assistance to India’s top research talent, this initiative has now been broadened to attract exceptional individuals to India’s research sector. The expanded PMRF offers enhanced funding packages, access to premier research institutions, and opportunities for international collaboration. With competitive fellowships, the PMRF aims to retain the country’s most promising researchers and academics, offering them the resources and recognition needed to carry out groundbreaking work within India, thus fostering an environment of innovation and academic excellence.
After the decline in global migration during the COVID–19 pandemic, the job sector has spiked drastically in a few years with two aspects evolved. The first is commute: work from home (WFH), which was predominant during COVID–19, has now taken up a part of a hybrid component of offline/online working hours even now. The second is the phenomenon of ‘Reverse migration’ where people who were pushed to move back to their native due to COVID–19 due to a lack of opportunities or other socioeconomic factors causing a shift in the urban economy abroad as well as in skilled laborer’s return to the native. The present higher cost of living, discrimination, political changes, and other factors question the decision to choose abroad opportunities.
Once number of people working abroad increased, the amount of money transferred to the native, also called remittance inflow increased. According to the World Bank, global remittances grew 7.3% in 2021, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. In India, by 2024, about 5.8% in total is to be established in remittance. This is attributed to the recovery of job markets in the developed countries. India is the number one country estimated to receive a remittance inflow of 129 billion dollars as of the fiscal year 2023 – 2024.
Though it may increase consumption and boost the immediate economy in India, the huge dependence on remittance is unreliable. It also doesn’t resolve the psychosocial impact on the families of the immigrants in the native. Some families receiving remittances may experience social pressure or stigmatization, particularly if the migrant’s earnings are seen as the family’s only source of survival. This can affect the self-esteem of both the migrant and their family members, further complicating their psychological well-being. And this remittance value further boosts migration causing a long-term imbalance from brain drain.
So, what can be done to reduce this? The Indian government has effectively created a few initiatives in 2024. The Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme is one among those, initiated in February of 2024 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in collaboration with industry stakeholders. ELI focuses on generating employment in key sectors, particularly manufacturing, technology, and services. It incentivizes companies to create jobs by providing financial benefits for every new job created, thereby creating job opportunities in India and reducing the need for skilled workers to migrate abroad.
Also, another phenomenon in the migration is the ‘second generation effect’, where the migrated individuals return to their native and implement the knowledge and work experience, they gained in their nativity. In India, the second generation of immigrants, often raised in countries with better opportunities, maintain strong ties with their homeland while adapting to global cultures. These individuals frequently develop bilingual skills and cultural literacy, making them valuable assets in their parent’s home country and the country they were raised in. With state encouragement, they can contribute to reversing the brain drain by bringing back knowledge, capital, and skills. Their unique transnational experiences allow them to access resources and foster collaborations that benefit India and their new countries. This bridging role can help India tap into global talent, boosting development and innovation.
Considering this, during the Union Budget Allocation in February by the Indian finance minister Nirmala Sitharam, where a whooping budget of 2 lakh crores INR is to be allocated for the next 5 years to promote employment opportunities and skill development via various initiatives mainly in the sectors of agriculture, rural and urban development, human resources, infrastructure, innovation, manufacturing, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME), social justice and research. This creates a huge market in India encouraging a rise in job opportunities and providing a wide platform for students who need to pursue a career in India.
To encourage and promote local workers and artisans who are unable to compete with the big market, whose geographically unique skills are almost extinct, and whose products are overshadowed by foreign products, the honorable Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi introduced the PM Vishwakarma Yojana. From the fiscal year 2023 – 2024, a budget of 13,000 crores INR is provided by the Union Government over the next 5 years. The artisans registered under this scheme will receive collateral-free credits, in phases with concessional interest rates. This scheme also provides information on digital payments and marketing. So, individuals with experience from overseas can return and help create platforms for the existing local citizens efficiently, thus boosting the economy.
For a country that benefits from collaborations and foreign exchange through migration, it is crucial to ensure that it does not lose its core identity by letting its best talents leave without retaining them. While migration can bring invaluable resources and skills, the country must also focus on preserving its cultural essence and tapping into its potential. For countries such as India, 2024 has been such a progressive year showing great potential for self-dependence for quality education and surplus career opportunities. It is the role of each citizen to ensure they contribute to their own country through their work and dedication. After all, who else but its citizens can truly help a country progress?
By: Oveya
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