It was a war of words on bhabhabhas in Lok Sabha today with the government resolutely defending the movement of Indian engineers and technocrats to greener pastures abroad, and several MPs demanding measures to control the ‘‘brain drain.’’
Referring to qualified NRIs as bhabhabhas (an acronym for Bharat se bhage hue Bharatiyas), Md Salim wanted the government to provide incentives to prevent engineers and technocrats from leaving the country in large numbers. He was supported by a number of MPs who pointed out that the government spends lakhs of rupees on IIT graduates who then migrated abroad.
To the main question by Balasaheb Vikhe Patil on brain drain, Union HRD Minister said not only was the phenomenon ‘‘inevitable’’ but it was postive as well.