Govt taking steps to check brain drain problem: minister

Acknowledging the problem of brain drain, the government today said it is taking steps to check the problem, including by offering scholarships to the top 500 students.
The government is also coming up with the plans to reform the engineering sector, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said in the Lok Sabha while replying to a debate on a bill that grants the status of national importance to the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) at Tirupati and Berhampur.
The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, which seeks to amend the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act, 2007 (NITSER Act), was later passed by the Lok Sabha.

Javadekar, while speaking about a host of issues related to education, accepted that there was a problem of brain drain in the country.
As part of measures to check it, he said 500 top students of the country are being offered Rs 75,000 as scholarship under PM Scholarship Scheme.
"We have started this and this will put a check on the brain drain and help the country in preserving its talent," the HRD minister said.

Talking about the engineering education, he said many colleges had produced engineers who were not employable as they lacked skills.
Around 400 such engineering colleges were closed down as they were not good, he said, adding, "the Bad will go but the good will remain in the system."

He said the government is coming up with the plans to reform the engineering sector.
P P Chakrabarti of IIT Kharagpur has submitted the report with regard to changes in the engineering sector and given some suggestions which includes early beginning of the counselling and review of the course.
"This year there will no vacancy in NIT. It is important we will do it," he said.
The government is also making efforts to improve the quality of institutes, Javadekar said after the debate in which several members voiced concern over the quality of education.
The minister acknowledged that the quality of education in the country was not up to the mark and there was a need to improve it.

"The ranking of institutes will improve with the improvement in the quality," he said.
In a bid to improve the quality of eduction, he said that a number of professors from overseas had been invited to India and this year around 600 professors from abroad were likely to visit the country.
Underlining the need for high quality inventions in the country, Javadekar said around 400 start-ups have been launched by IIT students in their hostel rooms.
"The nation will progress if there is research," he said.
Talking about the bill, the minister said the changes will enable two institutes -- one at Berhampur and the other at Tirupati -- to be governed by the legislation.

With the passage of the Bill, the number of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) will go up to seven from existing five, he said.
The NITSER Act declares certain institutions of technology, science education and research as Institutes of National Importance and provides for research, training and dissemination of knowledge in these institutions.
Every year, the gudget for all IISERs is Rs 900 crore while it is Rs 300 crore for Indian Institute of Science.
(Reopen PAR31)
The IITians and others who have gone abroad should be asked to come back, the HRD minister said.
There is a need for the central universities to come together so that the students who have gone abroad could be brought back, he said.

A member asked about the status of a proposal for exit examination for students of engineering institutions, to which he said the government has not yet taken any decision and the matter was still under consideration.
To another query, Javadekar said the government has started 24x7 rolling advertisement under which the websites like UGC will show the vacancies anytime anyone visits it.
About JNU, he said around 100 professors belonging to the SCs/STs and 25-30 physically-disabled ones would be joining it soon.
The minister said vacancies exist in central and state universities and the government was making a lot of efforts to create an atmosphere of promoting teachership.

He also said that there should be good induction courses and that efforts would be made so that there are no suicides by the students.
He also admitted that there was a need to improve the quality of public schools and stated that the government was trying to reform the teacher education.
About the North East, Javadekar said the government would give one important institute to Nagaland.