## Colophon tags:: url:: https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html date:: [[2025-02-03]] %% title:: Manu Joseph: Why nobody talks about India’s ‘brain drain’ anymore type:: [[clipped-note]] author:: [[@livemint.com]] %% ## Notes > In fact, today, the children of the affluent who are inclined to “do science," or whose parents want them to do it, leave India because they can’t compete with other Indians for admissions to any of the most sought-after engineering colleges. The children of IITians, generally, have little chance of getting into the Indian Institutes of Technology. The upper class is unable to compete with equality. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/edDFIOIpEe-cUfPe7IBztQ/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html) > Many years ago, a chief guest at a convocation ceremony at IIT Madras said, “Brain drain is better than brain in the drain." I don’t know if it was his original joke, but what I know is that all of Madras got to know within hours, and how we all laughed. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/8r-kTOIpEe-0PYetMWof1Q/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html) > Some of them who laughed are American citizens now and they do not laugh anymore at India jokes. Now, no chief guest would crack such a joke, but that is not because India has become a cradle of scientific innovation. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/-ilK2uIpEe-YMANILjvYTg/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html) 😂 > For a scientific genius to have an impact, he or she needs the right environment, which is best created by a combination of a government that knows what it is doing and capitalistic greed. American tech is largely the creation of the US government. That is why it is laughable that tech ‘bros’ keep talking about “small government." Their own fortunes have been driven by government policy to a large extent. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/PUonROIqEe-jwQ8CPwf_tw/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html) > Take the current hysteria around artificial intelligence, for instance. It holds some promise of public benefits in the vague distant future, but if the past is any indicator, millions of ‘brains’ would have worked for billions of hours to create a whole new array of frivolous things. And at the expense of scientific fields that are left reeling in neglect. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/Tbf57uIqEe-lkOsCntuHeg/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html) > Just as the arts probably lost its best to the sciences, many sciences are losing talent to narrower domains of tech. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/W4T69OIqEe-KIlcrw9XqMg/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html) > In fact, today, the children of the affluent who are inclined to “do science," or whose parents want them to do it, leave India because they can’t compete with other Indians for admissions to any of the most sought-after engineering colleges. The children of IITians, generally, have little chance of getting into the Indian Institutes of Technology. The upper class is unable to compete with equality. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/edDFIOIpEe-cUfPe7IBztQ/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html) > Manu Joseph: Why nobody talks about India’s ‘brain drain’ anymore — [view in context](https://hyp.is/tZpewuIpEe-lje8aFMtqkQ/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html) - Annotation: date:: [[2025-02-03]]> Many years ago, a chief guest at a convocation ceremony at IIT Madras said, “Brain drain is better than brain in the drain." I don’t know if it was his original joke, but what I know is that all of Madras got to know within hours, and how we all laughed. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/8r-kTOIpEe-0PYetMWof1Q/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html) > Some of them who laughed are American citizens now and they do not laugh anymore at India jokes. Now, no chief guest would crack such a joke, but that is not because India has become a cradle of scientific innovation. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/-ilK2uIpEe-YMANILjvYTg/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html) - Annotation: 😂> For a scientific genius to have an impact, he or she needs the right environment, which is best created by a combination of a government that knows what it is doing and capitalistic greed. American tech is largely the creation of the US government. That is why it is laughable that tech ‘bros’ keep talking about “small government." Their own fortunes have been driven by government policy to a large extent. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/PUonROIqEe-jwQ8CPwf_tw/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html) > Take the current hysteria around artificial intelligence, for instance. It holds some promise of public benefits in the vague distant future, but if the past is any indicator, millions of ‘brains’ would have worked for billions of hours to create a whole new array of frivolous things. And at the expense of scientific fields that are left reeling in neglect. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/Tbf57uIqEe-lkOsCntuHeg/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html) > Just as the arts probably lost its best to the sciences, many sciences are losing talent to narrower domains of tech. — [view in context](https://hyp.is/W4T69OIqEe-KIlcrw9XqMg/www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/manu-joseph-brain-drain-in-india-iit-nris-indians-abroad-study-abroad-indian-immigration-11738242570588.html)