Hey Indians,
Lately, it feels like every other conversation with a young Indian professional or student revolves around moving abroad. It's not just about greener pastures; it's about fundamental issues at home.
Here's a breakdown of what's driving this sentiment, and I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences:
1. The Quality of Life Conundrum: Pollution & Public Spaces
Garbage & Filth: It's a harsh reality, but several videos point out how common trash on roads is, often shocking to foreigners. There's even an "Exploring India Until It's Ugly" game on Google Earth focused on finding garbage heaps. Which sadly lasts mere seconds as we can see trash everywhere. Viral videos show how 'foreigners are cleaning beautiful places in India'. The waste management system and public cleanliness are significant concerns.
Choking on Air: Our Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently exceeds global standards, leading to serious health issues. Cities like Delhi, Singrauli, Begusarai, Patna, Kolkata, Ghaziabad, and Noida often register dangerously high AQI levels, upwards of 300. Remember the incident with Bryan Johnson leaving a podcast due to poor air quality in a five-star hotel? It speaks volumes.
Adulterated Food: From street food to daily staples, widespread adulteration – stone powder in flour, synthetic milk, adulterated spices, and paneer made from palm oil. Many practices banned abroad are unregulated here. People shared their insights whether FSSAI is corrupt or just lazy.
2. Infrastructure & Services: Paying First-World Taxes for Third-World Services?
Roads: Potholes and heavy traffic are the norm, making daily commutes a struggle. Mumbai, Delhi, and Gurgaon face flood-like situations every year despite being top cities.
Healthcare Woes: Even major government hospitals like Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital are described as chaotic, with staff and bed shortages, and unhygienic conditions. Rural areas reportedly face an 80% shortage of doctor specialists.
Taxpayer's Dilemma: Many youth argue that Indians pay taxes "like England" but receive services "like Somalia," questioning what common people get in return for a significant portion of their income.
3. The Education System: High Fees, No Guarantees
Rising Costs, Uncertain Future: Private school fees are soaring, and even after hefty college fees, a job guarantee is elusive due to an unreformed education system that often lacks skill-based learning. And government schools lack advanced modes like computer systems.
Scams & Morale: Incidents like the 2024 NEET scam severely undermine student morale and trust in the system. Even UPSC, one of the most prestigious authority, has seen internal corruption and bias.
The Study Abroad Boom: There's been over 60% growth in study abroad aspirants since 2015, with students from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities increasingly seeking better curriculum, environment, and infrastructure abroad.
4. Corruption & The Missing Civic Sense
Media & Misdirection: Some media channels avoid crucial debates like GDP per capita, instead focusing on divisive religious or communal issues, seemingly to prevent critical questioning. Also, some of these channels reportedly remove criticism-oriented comments to show a good image.
Dangers of Speaking Out: The alleged abduction and murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, who exposed a road construction scam, highlights the risks faced by those who speak against corruption.
Lack of Public Responsibility: Incidents like people looting mangoes at a festival, breaking train windows, or taking government-provided yoga mats after an event demonstrate a concerning lack of civic sense and respect for public resources.
5. International Image & Safety Concerns
Declining Passport & Rupee Value: India's passport ranking has dropped (77th), and the rupee's international value has fallen.
Immigration Scrutiny: Some European immigration officers reportedly view Indians with suspicion due to past incidents.
Women's Safety: We've seen countless instances of foreign female travelers being stared at. More alarmingly, over 1.3 million girls have gone missing in India in the last three years, with inadequate police action often attributed to non-functional surveillance cameras. Daily, 86 cases of rape are reported.
These factors, combined with social and political issues like religious extremism and language politics, create a challenging environment.
What are your thoughts on these "push factors"? Do you agree with these points? What other reasons do you think are contributing to the desire of Indian youth to settle abroad?