PM for encouraging 'reverse brain drain'

Mumbai, Oct 6 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today stressed on the need to encourage the ''reverse brain drain'' to boost knowledge economy, by attracting the best minds from the Indian diaspora to teach and guide research at the country's leading institutions.

''Some of our brightest students have gone abroad and done well in the advanced fields of research. Many of them have been returning home for varying periods of time as visiting faculty at the institutions in India. Many are taking up work assignments in private sector research institutions and companies. This reverse brain drain must be encouraged,'' he added.

Speaking at the inauguration of the concluding session of the platinum jubilee of the National Academy of Sciences India (NASI) here, Mr Singh said: ''Our visa regime, employment regulations and rules, especially in universities and government institutions, must respond to this new phenomenon.'' The Union government would address the issues so that the country's knowledge economy could benefit from the ''reverse brain drain'', he said.

Referring to the growing privatisation of advanced research in science and technology as well as the role of multinationals in knowledge generation, Mr Singh said the challenge before India was to find new pathways to sustain adequate incentives for the generation of new knowlegde and simultaneously to make the fruits of this knowledge available at the affordable prices to the poorer countries in the world.

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