Recent Trends and Patterns of Internal Migration In India

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An absolute immobile population does not exist anywhere in the world. The phenomenon of migration is as old as human civilization. In early phases of history, geographical barriers played a significant role in giving dimensions to migration phenomenon. At that time migration was limited to an extent because of lack of means of transport. But now migration is a response to technological progress, industrialization, urbanization and is facilitated by the availability of easy means of transport. According to the Indian Census, a migrant is usually defined as a person who has moved from one politically defined area to another similar area. In Indian context, these areas are generally a village in rural and a town in urban. Thus a person who moves out from one village or town to another village or town is termed as a migrant provided his/her movement is not of purely temporary nature on account of casual leave, visits, tours, etc (Census of India, 2001).

TRENDS OF INTERNAL MIGRATION

One of the commonly used measure of rate of mobility is the share of migrants in a population at a given time point. Table 1 presents the share of internal migrants in India over the last four decades. Table reveals that only 30 percent of india’s population is classified as migrants in 2001 census and further females are more mobile than males in the country. The point that emerges is that the rate of migration has declined upto 1991 but there is reversal in this declining trend of population mobility in 2001. Researchers have attributed this decline in population mobility to growth in transport facilities, which has made commuting to workplace increasingly easier over the period (Hassan, 2007: 71). The volume of migration has decreased also due to increasing social and political constraints (Kundu and Gupta, 2002:

Note: Excluding Assam in 1981 and Jammu & Kashmir in 1991, where the respective censuses were not held. Source: Census of India, Migration Tables, Tables D-1 and D-2 for various years. Importantly the decade also witnessed a profound change in our economic policy. The country adopted new economic policy in 1991 with the underlying principles of liberalization and privatization. Due to this policy private investments, both domestic and foreign, it has been argued, were attracted towards to the areas that were already developed and well-endowed with infrastructural facilities. As a result of the new approach, the interregional inequality in income levels has sharply widened (Bhagat, 2009: 1; Hassan, 2007: 69) and it seems to have affected the migration process in the country (Bhagat, 2009: 1; Hassan, 2007: 69).

(In Percent) Source: Based on various NSSO Rounds. Bhagat, 2009). Estimates from NSS also show a marginal decline in population mobility between 1987-88 & 1993 for overall population(Table 2). As per 43rd round (1987/88) 25.4 percent persons were considered as migrants who decreased 24.7 percent at the time of 49th round (1993). This decline is attributed to the process of economic liberalization which implies the greater movement of capital and natural resources and growing immobility of population as stated by some authors (Kundu and Gupta, 1996: 3391). A steady increase in internal migration has been witnessed in the post reform era from 24.7 percent in 1993 to 26.6 percent in 1999/2000 and 28.5 percent in 2007/08. State-wise data on inter-state in-migrants and out-migrants as per place of last residence criterion are presented in Table 3. A separate column has been added to the volume of net migration in the state. A perusal of it helps us to identify the states, which are most preferred destinations. Census data on migration enables us to derive estimates on net migration for states and union territories. Based on ‘place of birth’ and ‘place of last residence criterion’ scholars have identified the gaining and loosing states in the country in the post-independence period. Findings of the studies suggests that although the pattern of gaining and loosing states has undergone change from one decade to another, states like Maharashtra and Gujarat appeared as gaining states while Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh have consistently been out migrating states (Bhende and Kanitkar, 2010: 386, Kamble et al, 2007: 157).

(Duration 0-9 years) Source: Calculations are based on Census of India (2001), Migration Table (D-02). Table 3 shows the net migration flow at the state level between 1991 and 2001 based on ‘place of last residence’ criterion. On the basis of net migration during 1991 to 2001 decade, difference between in migration and out migration in each state, Maharashtra stands at the top of the list with 2.3 million net migrants, followed by Gujarat (0.67 million) and Haryana (0.64 million) as per 2001 Census. Uttar Pradesh (-2.7 million) and Bihar (-1.7 million) are the two states with largest number of net migrants migrating out of the state. The net in-migration is mainly found in the developed states like Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh where pull factor is stronger. These states attract population from almost all states. ‘Maharashtra has always been an in migrating state where flow of migration has increased almost three times. It may be because of better job opportunities, educational facilities and other developments in the state. In case of Madhya Pradesh, which is a Loosing state is because of separation in Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh. West Bengal has also negative net migration reason may be collapse of jute industries (Kamble, 2007:156). On the other hand, most of the remaining states are net out-migrating but not all of most developed state of India. A large population from Kerala is also migrating to the Gulf countries’ (Quoted in Bhagat, 2009:7).

It can be concluded from the above discussion that the population mobility in the country which was decreasing upto 1991, increased after the adoptation of new economic policy. As per 2001 census, 30 percent of population is classified as migrants in India. Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana are the three states of the Indian union which have attracted most of the inter-state migrants during the decade 1991-2001.

Bhagat, R.B. (2009), “Internal Migration in India: Are the Underclass More Mobile?” a paper presented in the 26th IUSSP General Population Conference held at Marrakech, Morocco, 27 Sep-2 Oct 2009. Bhende, A. and Kanitkar, T. (2010), Principles of Population Studies, Himalayan Publishing House, Mumbai. Hassan, M.I. and Daspattanayak, P. (2007), “Internal Migration in India: Some Emerging Patterns in the Post Reform Period”, Geographical Review of India, Vol. 69, No. 1, pp. 69-75. Kamble, et. al.(2007), “Migration Pattern in Selected States of India, 1991-2001”, in Tripathi, et. al.(ed.) Dynamics of Population Issues, Sonali Publications, New Delhi, pp. 151-169. Kundu, A. and Gupta, S. (1996): “Migration, Urbanization and Regional Inequality”, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 31, No. 52, pp. 3391-3398. Kundu, A. and Gupta, S.(2002), “Declining population Mobility, Liberalization and growing regional imbalances: The Indian Case” ,in Kundu, A.(ed.) Inequality, Mobility and Urbanisation, Manak Publishers, New Delhi, pp. 257-274.