India, Nov. 22 -- In the mid-1950s, Dr Radha Krishnan was emerging on the political firmament and was often sought after. Those were the days when any association with a British university, more specifically Cambridge, Oxford or London, was a special background for making a career in India.

The pattern changed in the decades to come, but the allure of foreign affiliation remained high in the Indian employment market and, indeed, in the Indian psyche.

London, Cambridge, Oxford and more did not exactly go away, but there emerged on the scene, alongside, institutions like Boston, Yale, Harvard and more. This showed in the employment market. A degree or placement from these institutions was a high recommendation for employment in India. The...