 Migration in INDIA Migration is a form of spatial mobility of Population between one Geographical Unit and another’s involving a permanent change of residence. The Migration in India is decided by the census of India.  Causes of Migration in India: For business For work and employment Marriage Moved at birth (child moving with parents) Moved with families (dependent population moved along with employed population) Political reasons ( mostly forced migration including ethnic, tribal, religious conflicts and displacement due to development projects) Education
These causes of migration can be clubbed into economic, socio-political and ecological factors: Economic factors: These relate to the labour and market of a place, the employment situation and the overall state of the economy. These factors can also be divided into Push and Pull factors of Migration.
Push factors: Unemployment or lack of employment opportunities. Rural poverty. Unsustainable livelihood. Pull factors: Job opportunities. Better income and prospects for wealth creation. Industrial innovation and technical know-how for a new industry. Pursuit of specialised education.
Socio-political factors: These include family conflicts and unification, the quest for independence, ethnic, religious, racial and cultural parameters; warfare, or the threat of conflict, among other factors that contribute to migration. These factors can also be divided into Push and Pull factors of Migration.
Push factors: Political instability. Safety and security concerns (ethnic, religious, racial or cultural persecution). Conflicts or threat of a conflict. Slavery or bonded labour. Inadequate or limited urban services and infrastructure (including healthcare, education, utilities, transport and water) Pull factors: Family reunification. Independence and freedom. Integration and social cohesion. Food security. Affordable and accessible urban services (including healthcare, education, utilities and transport).
Ecological factors: These include environmental factors, such as climate change and the availability of natural resources that cause individuals to migrate in search of more favourable ecological conditions. These factors can also be divided into Push and Pull factors of Migration.
Push factors: Climate change (including extreme weather events). Crop failure and scarcity of food. Pull factors: Abundance of natural resources and minerals (e.g. water, oil, uranium). Favourable climate.
Migration Streams: Depending on Place of Birth and place of enumeration, migrants can be classified into following four migration streams, which are roughly indicative of migration distance. Intradistrict migrants: are the persons born outside the place of enumeration but within the same district. Interdistrict migrants: are the persons born outside the district of enumeration but within the same state Interstate migrants: are the persons born outside the state of enumeration but within India. Immigrants: are the persons born outside the Country.
Based on the rural or urban nature of the place of birth and the place of Enumeration, Internal migrants can be further classified into the following four migration streams: Rural to Rural (R-R) Rural to Urban (R-U) Urban to Urban (U-U) Urban to Rural (U-R)
Rural to Rural
This stream of migration dominates overall other streams in terms of volume of migration. This intra-sectorial migration correlates to both intra-regional and inter-regional characteristics. The intra-regional perspective involves larger migratory volumes than inter-regional. The main causes for this migration are: Marriage migration Agriculture labourers. e.g. movement of agriculture labourers from overpopulated to underpopulated areas like Movement between Awadh- Rohilkhand plains to Delta plains Movement between Marusthali to Banas Valley (Intra-regional) Movement between UP and Bihar to Punjab, Haryana, and Assam.
Rural-Urban
Rural to Urban migration is next only to Rural to Rural migration it is caused by both Push and Pull factors of the urban areas. It is inter-sectorial migration that has been the most dominating migratory trend since independence. However, since 1981 census, positive effect of rural development program has resulted in easing down of push factors making this trend slump to 2nd rank. It involves Megacities as a destination with rural dwellers primarily from population surplus states such as UP, Bihar, MP, etc. acting as source areas. Exponential increase in population and the number of megacities in the country is primary attributed to Rural-Urban migration. This migratory trend also includes intra-regional and inter-regional subcategories. E.g.: UP and Kerala-Intra-regional migration (i.e. migration within UP and Kerala) Maharashtra, NTC, Chandigarh inter-regional migration (migration from adjacent regions)
Urban-Urban
The Migration is dominated by Middle class People, This migration involves step migration i.e. first migration takes place from rural areas to small towns and then to larger cities (Class II to Class I towns) This type of Migration forms a part of what is known as Step- Migration. Urban to Urban migration usually takes place in search of better opportunities and a better standard of living.
Urban to Rural
It is a push-back or reverses migration. It takes place at the advanced level of urbanization when urban centres are characterized by over congestion, haphazard growth, and high cost of living. It is less as it involves the old age population migrating largely after the completion of their professional commitment. This migratory movement is technically referred to as be counter-current of migration.
The In-migration in India The present day population of India Consists of descendants of people who migrated to this Country at different pre-historic and historic times from different parts of the world. It is more of a recent trend and most of it is because of political refugees (from Bangladesh, Tibet, etc.).
The Out-migration in India has happened broadly at four instances: Indentured labour Toward Europe and the USA (professionals) Because of partition Present phase (professional/IT Sector) Most of the migrations are largely internal as the Indian population is considered as the least mobile people in the world At every census 90% of the people are enumerated in the same district as their place of birth and of the remainder, 7% were born in the neighbouring district Family system, agrarian culture, widespread poverty, lack of adequate means of transportation and communication, lack of knowledge about options outside are the causes of poor mobility.  Consequences of Migration Demographic: It affects the age and sex composition of source and destination. It even affects the growth rate of the population. Generally, proportions of old, children and females increase in source area and decrease in destination due to influx of young males in search of jobs. Skewed sex ratios affect fertility and birth rate in source region. Social: Migrants are agents of social change, bringing new ideas and cultures. While this may lead to a composite culture, in some places it leads to increased friction, resentment from natives as was witnessed in attacks on Indians in Australia a few years ago. It can cause isolation, anonymity, dejection and antisocial or criminal intent in some migrants. Economic: Contrary to popular belief, migrants do not eat up jobs of the natives. Migration is economically beneficial for the destination as it brings cheap and/or skilled labour whereas it can cause brain-drain from source reason. Environmental: Overcrowding of cities puts tremendous pressure on infrastructure. Unplanned growth, slums, overexploitation of resources, water-shortage, air, water and noise pollution, problems of sewage/waste disposal. Delhi’s infrastructure and pollution woes are a case in point. Political: Migrant population provides for a new vote bank and thus may change the political equation of an area. For example, many states in North Eastern India are facing demographic imbalances due to illegal immigrants indicating adverse political implications.
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