Unfazed of Trump era, Hyderabad graduates still dream of US

HYDERABAD: The US is still the land of dreams for many aspirants, and often parents take huge loans to fulfil their children’s dreams. With US resuming premium visa processing from Tuesday, there is a fresh rush of new aspirants. There are several counselling centres in the city that have been treating and advising parents on how to deal with loneliness and depression after their children leave for foreign lands. A few parents are of the opinion that the younger generation should now look for job opportunities in India itself. But most aspirants waiting to get a job in US don’t agree.

Says K. Lalit, a young IT professional, “Indian universities are excellent but the job market is still quite poor. Also, the reservation system makes it difficult for all students to compete on merit alone. He said that reservation also plays a critical role in the selection of candidates by universities. Instead of picking candidates based on intelligence, some universities select candidates based on caste. This doesn’t happen abroad. Similar wages for different kinds of jobs in western countries is also a major attraction.”

According to a few aspirants, in India, the wages of a software employee are much higher when compared to a mechanical, chemical and civil engineer, due to which after completion of a Bachelor’s degree, many students opt for software jobs irrespective of the branch they studied in. Says Ram Kumar, another US aspirant, “The main reasons for young people leaving are lack of opportunities and low wages whereas there are multiple opportunities and great pay abroad.”

 Venkatesh Nellapu, a US aspirant said, “Parents are always concerned but they also want their kids to lead a good life. They don’t want their children to regret staying back so they are happy when they know we are leading a good life abroad. When life is better abroad, why will someone want to return to India where there is a lot of corruption? Abroad, we can save and make some sound investments before we return, for our retirement. I will be paid $4,000 for the same job which I am doing for a package of '2.6 lakh per annum in India.”

Sarika Markonda Patnaikuni, who is pursuing MSc in Germany said, “Studying abroad doesn't mean that we don't have good universities in India. But this exposes us to many cultures. We get a chance to learn a lot. There are a number of universities in India but compared to the number of aspirants, there are very few universities providing quality education.” Adds Vasanthi Kumari, pursuing MSc in microbiology in a UK university, “Though the fee here is very high, even a middle class student is ready to take an education loan because of the job opportunities offered later. After completion of the course, every student is confident that they will pay back their loans within a short period of time once they are employed."

Telangana Parents NRI Association president M. Rajkumar said, “Children working abroad are content with their pay and lifestyle but their parents in India who stay alone, miss them and feel depressed and lonely. Though some children visit their parents often, there are others who are quite busy in their work and don’t keep in touch regularly. After a point, parents need care and medical assistance. Parents take huge loans to send their children abroad but end up staying alone. The kids should call and visit them regularly.” Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association president Ranga Pothula said, “As the announcement of H-1B visas were made on Tuesday, it's very early to know the names of the companies that will provide visas for 2018 as most of them will start applying for visas now.”