Cover Story: Migration

Migration is emerging as a significant part of the livelihood portfolio for the poor. Income from migration has become more significant for the poorest areas of the country and sometimes exceeds income generated locally. Regional imbalances in development contribute to the push and pull factors of migration. About 30 million + are engaged in temporary/seasonal migration. Migrant labour constitute important building blocks of urban growth centers but their contribution largely goes unrecognized. Instead of emphasizing and making efforts to bridge intra-state and inter-state development gaps, short-term measures are being taken up to slow down and stop migration. Recognizing that migration is every individual’s choice, ‘livelihoods’ team attempts to understand the patterns, trends and issues around migration.