The Pakistani Spectator

It is a concern habitually voiced now & than on various platforms that because of the untoward state of the state, students (undergrads & graduates) are fleeing the country ensuing brain drain.

I would say, too many applicants for fewer seats obtainable in universities and consequently  failure to get admission in professional institutes is actually “brain drain”. I rather consider the aforementioned brain drain a blessing in the given situation. It is inevitable now. At least those who can afford, or students’ who are able to get scholarships are going abroad, creating space for freshmen here.

Policy makers are aware of the fact that more than half of our population constitutes adolescents; they have been calling them our greatest treasure & pride & what not. But irony is no development had been done to dwell them except may be to exploit them for political purpose. Having most of our population as youngsters should have sent shivers & goose bumps & set alarms and campuses should have been set up on emergency basis.
HEC did an incredible job for a couple of years, thanks to Dr Atta-ur-Rehman for doing such a great duty. His plan of opening campuses of 11 foreign universities here, arrangement of scholarships, outreach program me, etc was marvelous. After the merciless murder of HEC all his effort of opening 11 campuses went down the drain, outreach program me bunged up & scholarships vanished.

For instance, lets take MCAT, only in Punjab this year about 20K charged, primed applicants applied for seats as few as 2000. Private sector took advantage of the shortcoming resulting in mushrooming of private medical colleges which are in reality meant for business. Scores of these private colleges have their first or second year and are charging a minimum fee of 20 lakh. They have exploited parents. Their is no restraint, no evaluation. Most disquieting fact is that the quality of education is being compromised. Undoubtedly, Imane Malik cases would b more frequent in future. Is this not brain drain?? Parents who can afford such phenomenal tuition costs maybe can also meet the expenses of better quality graduate degrees abroad & consequently are sending off their children out of the country. Is this brain drain??

Moreover, employment situation is even worse. Graduates are pooling with no position to work at. MBAs, IT,s are liable to do call centre jobs. While those proficient for call centre jobs r perceptibly jobless. Is this not brain drain? Brain drain happens when state of affairs around does not let people use their brain to the best of their ability. Those who are departing are at least sending off their remittances back home.

Graduates these days are opting for postgrad degrees abroad instead of grieving over redundancy, which I take as a positive approach. Providentially, scholarships &financial aid availability is still their from foreign uni,s, even after the dreary downfall of HEC.
Brain will b drained if they r left to rot at homes after their FSc/A,s because they r incapable  to get admission anywhere coz their r not enough seats on hand for them or brain drain would ensue if even after a graduate degree, unemployment leave them dejected, disheartened & perturbed.

Pakistan has more than enough brain, to be drained so easily. Solution is easy – Fix govt policies, revive HEC, build new universities, conduct evening classes in campuses, improve economy, combat unemployment – the much mourned “brain drain” that has already happened will also reverse.

Failure to execute this indicates incapability of higher authorities, and their incapacity to hold the righteous designations. In such case, instead of drenching over brain drain, one should shout for change!!