Going abroad – Surely not a goal to die for?
The other day, I came across the story of a 21-year-old boy, Sanjay, who had hanged himself from the ceiling fan in his room after his Australian student visa application was rejected. This story highlights the deep-rooted aspiration among a segment of middle class that wants to leave Indian shores. And sometimes the price to pay for it is simply too high. Many Indian youth feel that going abroad is a way to escape the intense competition for jobs and career opportunities in India. The sheer number of youngsters graduating from high-schools aspiring for a limited number of seats in the professional educational institutions filters out a large percentage of students. The reservation policies adopted and enhanced by successive governments at central and state levels further exacerbate this sense of anguish when youth from “general merit” category is planning for their future. It starts with reservation for college and professional courses and continues through filtering for career o