Short duration migration has played a crucial role in enabling
rural people to cope with the consequences of agrarian distress and
devastated rural economic conditions. Seasonal migration, in particular,
has always been a phenomenon guided by the needs specific to time.
Studies on short duration or seasonal migration are region and context
specific due to this very reason seasonal migration has no broad
associated characteristics at the macro level. Hence, this paper tries to
focus on the method to assess the magnitude of short/seasonal migration
based on its broad characteristics. It attempts to analyse the contrasting
characteristics of short duration and permanent migration. The study
applies the widely recognised demographic technique of Parity
Progression Ratio to measure the magnitude of short duration migrants.
The study reveals that short duration migrants are largely concentrated
in rural areas and basically migrated in search of work/employment
towards urban and other prosperous rural areas. Also, short duration
migration is more common in the case of male migrants, while permanent
migration is more common among female migrants. Short duration
migrants are primarily illiterate and less qualified and belong to either
the older age group or that below 14 years. While short duration migrants
are impelled to migrate for work/employment, and permanent migrants
seek better opportunities. The predominant streams of migration are
urban to rural and rural to rural and the tendency is to migrate to other
districts and states for work/employment in both rural and urban areas.
Keywords: Short-duration migration, Temporary migration, Seasonal
migration, Circular migration, Employment, Wage rates,
Occupation, Destination, Earnings, Economic activity.
JEL Classification: J6, J31, J38, J62, J64.
History
Publisher
Centre for Development Studies
Citation
Korra, Vijay (2011) Short duration migration in India : an appraisal from census 2001. CDS working papers, no.442. Trivandrum: CDS.