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I
don’t know why but I don’t get excited when I
read or hear news such as ‘brain drain in
reverse’ and NASSCOM estimates that says 30,000
professionals have moved back to India. Perhaps
I don’t like them serving some companies as
employees, as they will be doing the same what
they were doing in US too. And there may be many
here already who can occupy the chair with same
performance efficiency or better. However, I get
real pleasure when I find someone from US coming
to start an enterprise of his own. In the early
part of this year when we were in the US, I used
to suggest every Indian young man that we met to
have an ambition to start some enterprise and
get trained accordingly while working for the
American companies. However, I understand very
well that every one can’t be an entrepreneur
neither every one likes to take the risk that a
business demands.
Some 80,000 students every year are still going
for higher professional studies to US and many
more to other countries too including China. And
I don’t grumble about it. It happened in past
too, when IITs were already there on the scene.
There is nothing wrong if the Indian students
are migrating to US for higher studies such as
masters or PhD, in which US provides the best
facilities in the world. Indian institutes but
for some, still don’t provide the post-graduate
professional education of world class standard.
Even if these migrants work abroad, the country
is the major beneficiary through the huge
remittances that they make. Last year, it was
about $24 billion.
Perhaps in the same way I was not excited, when
the new CM of Bihar promised the other day to
create conditions so that the migration of the
people of Bihar stops. His government can only
provide employment for menial work such as one
based on the National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act, 2005. Unfortunately, Bihar could neither
develop service sector nor manufacturing over
the years.
There is nothing wrong if the people are going
out for better opportunities. I feel proud to
see the young men from Bihar carrying out small
and medium business in NCR. But I feel bad when
they engage themselves for menial work for
nominal remunerations. Fortunately, I find the
number of people from Bihar in menial work is
going down.
I wish the new CM ensured that these boys get
good education before they leave their village
homes or towns. The new government must provide
all level of trade education and training of
diploma and degree level. Bihar needs its trade
schools to provide religiously high skill and
knowledge to their schools and certainly not the
paper that is called diploma or degree. Even if
they are to work as masons, plumbers, welders,
carpenters, or plumbers, they must have the
skill to get good remunerations. And then they
shall be in good demand even outside the state
or the country.
A redeployment based on skill at village level
is also necessary, and the people there must be
accordingly prepared and trained. Beside good
masons, carpenters, and barbers, villages must
now have skilled persons who can repair diesel
motors, tractors, harvesters, motorcycles and
scooters; and electricians to maintain music
systems, telephones, and cellular. And owners or
users are not made to depend on technicians in
towns.
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Comments: |
Bravo! A very well written and
analytical article! I really enjoyed
reading it. The author makes several
very good points. These points go
against the conventional view of
things and very amply demonstrate
the flaw in conventional thought.
I agree with the author that instead
on focusing solely on higher
education in Bihar, both the
Government and the people should
look at the vast spectrum of jobs
between the labourer and the
professional that the new economic
order is bringing in.
There is a limited market of
professionals and not everyone has
the 'gift of Saraswati', resources
or the iron will to complete 4 years
of Technical Education. For the
thousands who do, there are not
enough jobs. This leads to
disillusionment, underemployment and
frustration.
For the day lobourers, especially
those who migrate outside, the
condition is most wretched. It is
purely a hand-to-mouth existence and
the lot of the person never changes.
This segment of the workforce from
Bihar is most exploited.
The new economic order is ushering
in a plethora of jobs of the
Technician level. These jobs that
require High School education and
some vocational training can offer
very good pay. These vocational
careers are going to be the sway of
tomorrow in India. Medical
Technologists (x-ray, CAT, MRI),
Pathology, Auto Repair, Air
Conditioning Techs, Plumbers,
Electricians, Building Trade
Specialists, Glass installers, Photo
copier technician, Electrical
Equipment repair, Machine operators,
Manufacturing techs. ..... the list
is endless and I can go on and on
for hours.
Education in the new Bihar needs to
focus on producing a workforce of
technicians. The goal should to take
kids finishing High School and to
offer them Vocational training and
Certification. Government should
also phase in certification
requirements for such professions to
ensure that the work is done by
someone who has training to complete
the work. There is a need also to
adopt codes for Building,
Electrical, Plumbing work etc, so
that quality of work done is not
only high, but uniform throughout
the state
So far Bihar has supplied cheap
labour to the rest of the country.
There is no reason why we can't have
well paid Bihari Technicians both
inside and out of Bihar. - Aarcee
- Jan. 3, 2006 |
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