From the NY Times In India, Many Potholes and Not Enough Engineers

PUNE, INDIA — Call it India’s engineering paradox.
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Civil engineering was once an elite occupation in India, not only during the British colonial era of carving roads and laying train tracks, but long after independence as part of the civil service. These days, though, India’s best and brightest know there is more money and prestige in writing software for foreign customers than in building roads for their nation.
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Moreover, many people who earn degrees in civil engineering never work in the profession or, like Mr. Mandvekar, leave it soon after they graduate to take better-paying jobs in information technology, management consulting or financial services.