Is it worth moving to India?

- from Raj Rasania:

I was born , raised & educated in India. Migrated to USA in 1974, became Us Citizen. Have been visiting India every year ( at time twice a year) . Yes India has changed & more westernized. I actually moved back to India for good in 1991 with my 2 children. Lived there for 14 months & moved back to USA. My children both went to Private School in Mumbai, had private tutors coming to my home to teach them. I even took my furniture by 20 feet cargo & paid "corruption" with the help of "clearing agent" in Mumbai. At that time the exchange rate was$1=Rs25 only. And there was no "relaxed " RBI rules ,and no modernization like today. One thinks education & labor is cheap in India. That is wrong. In Mumbai ( South-where land price is anywhere from Rs.60,000 to 150,000per sq.ft., rent for a 1000 sq.ft flat is around Rs.100,000 per month), the "driver" costs Rs.5000 plus per month( 9 to 5 no weekends) ,house maid ( a good one if you are lucky) will cost Rs.5000+ a month. Cleaning lady will cost about Rs2000 a month. Your electricity(with ACs) will come to Rs. 5000+ a month if not more, food is not cheap & hotel. Restaurants (eating out) for 4 will be around Rs.2000depending on Hotel. The gas cost $5+ per gallon. The Indian car average per gallon is around 40Km per gallon. The travel from Walkeshwar to Borivali (depending on time of the day & season-like monsoon) can take anywhere from 1 & 1/2 hrs to 3 hrs. .The "water rationing" which is very common even in walkeshwar area is about 2 to4 hrs per day only. The local trains are still very crowded. Now for the education part. Up to 12th Std. is is cheap. Even BA, BSc, BCom is cheap. But if your child is Foreign national, even with OCI, you can not get admission in any Govt./Municipal Medical, dental, engg., pharmacy college. Foreign national can not even take CET Board exam. So, only choice left is "Private or Deemed Univ." colleges. And there the Tuition fee for NRI is anywhere from US$ 12,000 to 20,000 per year- that is white money, and then trustee might ask for "black" money ( like builder will ask for 60% black money if you want to buy a flat/land in India). And in MBBS in Mumbai get a shock of life if trustee ask for Rs.60 lacs (US$ 120,000) for admission and don't forget the white $12,000 per year fees. Last year for Post Graduate Orthopedic Seat in DY Patil Univ., Navi Mumbai, an NRI from Gulf gave $250,000 in black money .So, it is very "high" even in comparison to US Medical colleges. In most cases, Foreign National Student has no choice but leave India & come as US Citizen and start "fresh" here. So, your dream to have your children " Indian Culture "is shattered anyway. And Mumbai is more western than even New York. Ifone reads about OCI benefits , it is mis-leading by Indian Govt. It does say " all OCI holders enjoy all the benefits including children higher education like any other Indian National except Voting rights, public sector job, political affiliation, and purchase of Agricultural land". I am sure those NRI with OCI who go back or planning to go back does not care about Voting, or job or politics. Most want to enjoy relaxed life & have their children become Doctor, Engg., dentists or Pharmacists. Most OCI think that their children will admission in Govt./Medical college as Indian at same fees, which is for Indian National about Rs.25,000 per year, and so average NRI is not prepared for atro The only way, this "education" scenario be changed is by e-mailing to Prime Minister, Mr. Manmohan Singh about having some "seats" reserved for OCI in Govt./Municipal colleges at higher rate. In some Municipal Medical colleges there are 15% NRI seats. Like in Ahmedabad VS Hospital the fees for 4 & 1/2 years MBBS is US$100,000!!!!!!!! In Mumbai at Nayar, KEM & LT there is no reserved seat for NRI- those 3 are Municipal medical colleges. So, think hard before you move to India particularly if you have Foreign National OCI children. Good Luck Raj rasania

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