I earned my first degree in India, completed post-graduate studies in the USA, and have worked at a UK University. Having experienced the environment at Universities in the UK and the USA, I would always encourage an Indian student to try and gain admission into a US University before applying to a UK University for the following reasons:
(1) The student's Rupee would go further in the USA, where the cost of living is typically lower than in the UK;
(2) Better research facilities in the typical US University (for post-graduate work) than in the typical UK University;
(3) Better-paid jobs available in the USA for a well-qualified US-degree holder.

John E. F. O'Reigner, Wirral, England

Britain has been losing out on the Indian talent pool (and the commercial gain from it) because of the British Immigration law that not only treats a non-EU students unfairly (by charging anything between 3-10 times fee for every university course),but even after qualifying from Britain, there are safeguards in place so that non-EU (not just non british) citizens dont get the best of jobs. Even as a highly skilled migrant (with supposedly unrestricted working rights on papers and resident labour market test waived off) and a doctor doing my training in the NHS,I have felt this discrimination (not while working in the NHS -I emphasise, but the department of health trying its level best to keep us away from coveted SpR training rotations). UK has to realise that it cannot treat its highly skilled migrant workforce as garbage,if they are from outwith the EU, while not even testing the EU immigrants for english language skills,leave apart professional qualifications that we are tested for.

Mayank Vashishtha, Glasgow, UK

In ref to student preferring USA because of the the lack of equal opportunities how do you think Asian's born and bred in this country feel? We are disadvantaged in this country by being not the NEW (affluent) Indians and in India by not being Indian enough! no, I'm just an over educated , under employed immigrant with nowhere to go looking enviously at the opportunities in India. There is a huge swathe of bilingual Asian talent in this country which are ignored by the same multinationals wooing the new India and their talent. Could it be any more ironic.

nina, london,

Britain has been losing out on the Indian talent pool (and the commercial gain from it) because of the British Immigration law that not only treats a non-EU students unfairly (by charging anything between 3-10 times fee for every university course),but even after qualifying from Britain, there are safeguards in place so that non-EU (not just non british) citizens dont get the best of jobs. Even as a highly skilled migrant (with supposedly unrestricted working rights on papers and resident labour market test waived off) and a doctor doing my training in the NHS,I have felt this discrimination (not while working in the NHS -I emphasise, but the department of health trying its level best to keep us away from coveted SpR training rotations). UK has to realise that it cannot treat its highly skilled migrant workforce as garbage,if they are from outwith the EU, while not even testing the EU immigrants for english language skills,leave apart professional qualifications that we are tested for.

Mayank Vashishtha, York, UK

As a doctor who has worked for 15 years in the UK, after my basic medical degree from India, I feel misused as to the way the NHS treats non EU doc's, especially from India. During the 70's and 80's, it was the imported Indians doctors who kept the NHS running good, doing all the nights, overtimes and other side of British medical care that home grown doctors turned away from in disgust. Again, the NHS is now crubbling, but this time, majority of juniour indian doc's opted to stay in India. Let the eastern european doc's who apparently can speak better english than indian ones AND not suprisingly havent a clue about the difference between a forcep and a kitchen knife, enter the hull of the sinking ship, known as the NHS! India is booming, we are catching up, face the facts and look beyond the brown skin and treat us as equal human beings.

Dr Navin Menon MBBS, FRCP, FRCPath., Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England

I agree with the comment that overseas students are not given equal opportunity in obtaining suitable positions in the UK after graduating. This is one of the reasons why students from India and other countries would choose to study in the USA . I passed through the UK higher education system obtaining the highest university degree one could obtain and two professional qualifications. All my efforts were in vain in trying to obtain a suitable position in the UK. For this reason I worked in 3 other countries where surprisingly my total emoluments were far in excess I could have obtained in the UK. Even my younger son after obtaining two degrees and 71.3 average in his professional exdamination had to leave the UK for want of a position relating to his qualifications. Although he obtained more than the minimum mark for a distinction he was denied this on the pretext that he was late for an oral presentation.

Dr Nat Khublall, Harrow on the Hill, England, UK

I feel often very surprised to see mention of East India company and British Raj on many of articles on modern India. I would say what is happening in India today has absolutely nothing to do with British Raj. In fact that part in history of India was one of the worst time of India in terms of social oppression, poverty and unrest. India was totally crippled financially by exploitation of British Rulers. When British left they very irresponsibly ended up partitioning India leading to further economic and social disasters. The journalists writing articles please stop glamorizing British Raj. Modern Indian young generation back in India will be furiously surprised if they come to know that most of the British media articles on modern India today end up giving some credit to British Raj.

Having said that almost every young generation Indian including me looks at Britain in very different perspective of a modern western nation full of potential business opportunities and friendly ties.

Durva Shiv, Bristol,

The reason Indian students are choosing USA as their destination is because there is a problem with UK system. The UK system started treating Indian students unfairly once they finish their education. UK system does not give equal opportunities in jobs anymore. This dissuades the Indians coming to UK and thereby UK is loosing revenue and a talented pool of law abiding people who can contribute to the growth of UK economy. There is always a give and take relationship. If UK only wants to take money from Indian students to run its universities and not give them jobs, then soon revenues for universities will dry up. This example stand comparable to other international students aswell.

Dheeraj, Derby, Derbyshire

In this post-colonial new world, perhaps Britain needs to work hard in stealing the best brainpower coming out of India.This story reminded me of a fairly recent comment made by Al Qaida senior official in which he casually mentioned about 'Britain & her Indian slaves'! In the old colonial world, Britain would have never been such a great colonial power if not for India. It was millions of Indian soldiers and civil servants deployed throughout thirtysomething colonial countries that kept British emperor thrived and prospered for centuries, all at the expense of sufferings of hundred of millions of colonial people worldwide.

JJ Yorks, Seattle, USA