Brain Drain: A Tough Challenge ahead

The greatest challenge for the upcoming Government will be stopping the continuous brain drain; in addition, restoring West Bengal from a derided state to its glorious, admired past. Bengal’s current state is a depressing nightmare for its talented youth, who have consequently lost all hope, ambition, and aspiration. However, The metamorphosis of West Bengal from a state with high aspirations to its current bizarre condition has compelled a growing number of young people to depend on government handouts. Political influence has become so pervasive that it has crippled every state institution. Mamata Banerjee and her government has to address such huge brain drain and unemployment problems.

Brain Drain of Students

Moreover, the sources reveal that In December 2024, the West Bengal government launched a survey. The intent was also to track students who left  for higher education after completion of  Class 12 under state boards. In contrast, the result is yet to come to broad daylight. Whereas, Data from a 2021 Education World survey indicated that a substantial proportion (40% to 70%) of students have left.  Hence, the students of Kolkata’s leading academic institutions intended to pursue higher education outside the state. Consequently, the most talented graduates who secure admission elsewhere are unlikely to repatriate; primarily due to the scarcity of suitable employment within the state; a statistic that likely represents a conservative estimate today.

Can the tree survive after the detachment of the root? Its bound to spread its far-reaching tentacles across the entire system. As the young aspiring students started migrating for higher education, can the degree holders retain in West Bengal? The unemployment problems in West Bengal under Mamata Banerjee is deeply structural; marked by stalled industrial growth, a shrinking informal sector, and a steep decline in public sector recruitment. Such bizarre state of affairs severely impacts educated young people and women.

The Government Priorities

In contrast, the state has an over-reliance on agriculture and a weak manufacturing sector; which limits formal job opportunities for its large working-age population. The Industrialists often refrain from choosing Bengal as an option because of poor infrastructure, syndicate domination, political outrages, and too much Kolkata-centric dynamics.

Similarly, Political violence and corruption have played pivotal roles for a negative business ecosystem, deterring private investment and job creation. West Bengal has seen minimal industrial and manufacturing growth in the last couple of decades. Mamata Banerjee has to take the onus and start replanning.

The unemployment rate saw a sharp spike during the recent years; the situation remains volatile and sensitive to economic shocks. This volatility has got a direct reverse impact on the students’ brain drain as they despair to find any positive future in the statehood.

West Bengal lost 3 million jobs from 2015-16 to 2022-23 as per National Statistical Office (NSO) in Annual Survey on Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE).

The Government initiatives  Yuvashree, Gatidhara, Karmashree, Yogyashree and others falls too short to cover up the deficit. Similarly, the Shramashree Scheme of Mamata Banerjee, has failed to cut an ice. The migration of educated youth from West Bengal for jobs is a continuous process; driven by a lack of sufficient corporate job opportunities and lower salaries compared to other major Indian metropolitan areas.

West Bengal has a small corporate sector, with most multinational corporations (MNCs), out of which some are running with an insignificant manpower behind their glossy signboards. The political coercion has forced many medium sized industries to set up their branches or plants in the neighbouring states instead of West Bengal.

Economic disparity

The lack of economic parity with the national average has resulted in regional disparity, which in turn forces a continuous exodus of workers, including educated youth. These individuals are leaving to find higher wages in more prosperous states. The companies in Kolkata often pay significantly lower starting salaries and offer smaller hikes for experienced professionals compared to other cities. Even a skilled mason earns double the amount in other states that compared with West Bengal.

As the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee,  expresses vocal concern regarding the plight of Bengali migrants in other states, a critical self-assessment is necessary to determine why these citizens are compelled to seek opportunities outside of West Bengal in the first place.

A Call for Urgent Reform to stop brain drain

It’s time for Bengal to return to the drawing board, to confront its failures honestly and initiate systemic reforms. Only then can the state hope to reclaim its lost glory and provide its youth with the opportunities they deserve, right here at home.