Page 8 - Seniors Today
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health infrastructure. A quality of life index cheques. At the highest level, professionals
survey revealed that we scored very poorly will look at job opportunities, taxation,
on key parameters of physical health, and the quality of life, all three are equally
psychological health, social relationships important. The appeal of a higher standard
and environment. Quality of life is an of living, including better education and
individual’s perception of their position in health facilities for the family is a key
life - in the context of the culture and value driver for migration.
systems in which they live. More than According to a recent survey, as many
half the respondents rate the availability as 8000 high network individuals are
of administrative government services predicted to leave India in 2022. Strict
online negatively. Our transportation, tax rules and reporting requirements as
infrastructure does not fare well either, well as the need for a stronger passport
neither does our health and well-being are the key reasons for the migration.
and that is because of the quality of the Young entrepreneurs are exploring global
environment and pollution. business and investment prospects, eager
The fact is that expatriates who opt for to diversify a portion of their wealth in
taking an Indian posting get a hardship countries that provide a majority of benefits
allowance which is a significant portion of and low tax rates. Challenges for wealthy
their salaries. Most developed countries Indians include stringent exchange control
offer this incentive to their employees. for remittances, and inflexible residency
Countries that give hardship allowances rules that result in penal taxation. For the
are Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, wealthy, the ease of shifting to any part
China, and Thailand… of the world is not a problem at all and
Why do Indians want to leave India? Ask that is why there is a steady migration of
a taxi driver in Punjab or someone in a Indian millionaires to places like Dubai and
similar earning position, their aspiration Singapore. Some of these countries have a
is to migrate to Canada and the US and high standard of living and a low physical
invariably they have friends and relatives residency requirement.
who can help them get there. Get to a Are we less patriotic today than we were
slightly higher level, for a lot of the mid- in 1947? The josh of independence in 1947
level managers would like to migrate was very different to what patriotism
because of better working conditions, means today. A lot of the millennial and
more job opportunities, and higher pay Gen Z kids probably may not know the
national anthem Jana gana mana by heart
and even less Vande Mataram. Most states
do not require schools to recite this at the
beginning of each day. Does it make this
generation less patriotic? I remember
growing up to songs like Mere desh ki
dharti, Isse desh ko rakhana mere bacchon
sambhal ke, Kar chale hum Fiza jaanu tan
saathiyon, and of course the forever heart-
tugging Aye mere vatan ke logon.
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