‘New disease among children’: V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar on students going abroad

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar rued that today education has become a commodity which is being sold for profit, thus adversely impacting its quality.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday voiced concerns about the growing trend of Indian students going abroad for higher education, calling it a "forex drain and brain drain" that harms the country's economic and educational prospects.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar speaking at a function organised by a private educational institute in Rajasthan’s Sikar.

Speaking at a function organised by a private educational institute in Rajasthan’s Sikar, Dhankhar remarked that many children are drawn to studying abroad without properly assessing the institutions or countries they are heading to.

"There is another new disease among children—that of going abroad. The child enthusiastically wants to go abroad, sees a new dream, but there is no assessment of which institution or country he is going to," Dhankhar said.

'Forex drain'

Citing estimates that around 1.3 million Indian students will have gone abroad for studies in 2024, he said this trend has cost India approximately USD 6 billion in foreign exchange.

"Imagine: if USD 6 billion is funnelled into improving the infrastructure of educational institutions, where we will stand!" Dhankhar said, urging institutions to make their students aware of the situation abroad.

Dhankhar also called on educational institutions and industry leaders to raise awareness among students about the growing range of opportunities available within India, lamenting that most students pursue only a limited range of jobs.

"The youth generally run behind 8-10 types of jobs but there are huge opportunities across various sectors. The basket of opportunities is getting bigger every day, but most of our students are not fully exposed to it," he said.

Touching on the commercialization of education, Dhankhar expressed concern that what began as charitable work has now turned into a business. "Education becoming a business is not good for the future of the nation," he said.

He urged corporate houses to use their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to support educational institutions and new courses, emphasizing that it was crucial for the nation’s progress.

While Dhankhar acknowledged that institutions should be financially sustainable, he stressed the importance of industry partnerships in nurturing educational growth.

"The responsibility lies with the industry to nurture these institutions from time to time," he added.