What does it take to become a software professional?
July 29, 2006, Anirudh Krishna & Vijay Brihmadesam, Economic and Political Weekly
Rather than place of origin (rural vs urban) or economic background, the most common characteristic shared by newly recruited software professionals in Bangalore are two educated parents. A survey of three software firms showed that fathers of all new recruits have at least a high school degree; while 75 per cent are college graduates. More than 80 per cent of all mothers also have a high school education or better. Having educated parents is a significant asset in a situation of information scarcity and helps children gain access to better opportunities; however, no more than 4-7 per cent of all Indians have parents who are similarly qualified. The alarming trend highlighted by this data is that restricting better-paying jobs to the tiny educated segment of the national talent pool severely shrinks the prospects for national growth and individual achievement. The authors stress that resolution of information gaps through better institutional means needs to be publicly debated (Adapted from authors).