Brain gain
Topic: Human Capital: Education, Health and Demographic Dividend · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Brain gain is the inflow of skilled professionals, or the return of skilled members of the diaspora, to a country. They bring knowledge, capital and networks, which add to the country's human capital. It is the opposite of brain drain. India's channels for brain gain include returnee entrepreneurs and diaspora investment, Global Capability Centres, the OCI card and the VAJRA faculty scheme.
Example
Under the VAJRA faculty scheme (2017), overseas scientists work with Indian institutions. Global Capability Centres (GCCs), the in-house tech and R&D hubs that multinationals run in Indian cities, draw skilled Indians back from abroad. The OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card gives the diaspora long-term links to India.
Don't confuse with
- Brain drain: brain drain is the outflow of highly skilled people, such as IIT and AIIMS graduates leaving mainly for the US since the 1960s.
- Brain circulation: brain circulation is two-way movement. Brain gain looks only at the inflow.