Reverse brain drain has started: Union Minister Harsh Vardhan

KOLKATA: Noting the rise in the number of scientists returning to the country, Union Minister Harsh Vardhan today said a new trend of 'reverse brain drain' has already started.

"Earlier there used to be brain drain. Now a reverse trend has started. Around 175-180 scientists have returned to India in the recent past," Vardhan, the Union Minister for Science and Technology, said when asked to comment on how the NDA government would tackle the issue of Indian talent migrating for greener pastures outside.

A recent report by USA's National Science Foundation said the number of Indian-origin scientists and engineers in the US grew 85 per cent between 2003 and 2013.

"There are ample opportunities here. We have the best of the labs, state-of-the-art equipment. Research fellowships have been increased by 50 per cent. We want the scientific temper to grow in the country," Vardhan said.

He was in the city to inaugurate the second campus of CSIR-affiliated Indian Institute of Chemical Biology(IICB) in Salt Lake.

On the generation-next 30 m telescope, which is being built jointly by countries like USA, China, Japan, Canada, among others, Vardhan said India was supplying majority of the hardware for the project.

India's contribution, the minister said, is worth Rs 1,300 crore in the project.

Stating that the NDA government was trying to plug gaps between laboratory research and its translation into action, he asked the scientists to make quality technology products which should also be affordable to people.