Benefits of an Indian undergraduate education

I was surprised to learn that, according to an Oxford index tracking global student mobility, 69 percent of Indian students who want to study abroad consider the US to be the most desirable destination.

- BASAB DASGUPTA

When I was a student in India, no one thought about the USA for undergraduate education. Apart from tuition and living expenses, there were many cultural barriers, considered to be too severe to overcome at a tender age, not to mention the language (accent) difference. Applying for graduate studies to schools offering financial assistance was the way to go.

I had always been satisfied with my undergraduate education in India. That satisfaction has now turned into pride and a feeling of being blessed. I am thrilled by the recent trend whereby a series of first-generation Indian Americans with undergraduate education in India rose to topmost leadership roles in major high technology companies including Adobe System, Microsoft, IBM, and Google/Alphabet. It is a testimonial to the soundness of undergraduate education in India. This strength was already known from professional accomplishments of Indian immigrants in medicine, economics, business, and traditional science subjects. However, they reached the upper management echelons only after long experience in their careers. The recent trend of rapid career advancements of Indians suggests other indirect benefits of Indian education.

In my opinion, undergraduate education in India is on par with that in the US and even better in some respects. The curriculum in India consists of a specific set of subjects within a particular major area that each student must take. In the US, although there are a few mandatory "core courses," they have a rather wide range of available courses to choose from to complete the degree requirements. I believe that it is important for young students in their late teens to undergo exposure to a variety of preselected topics instead of them selecting courses based more on curiosity or a fad or recommendations from someone.