Extract:

Chapter One

Introduction

1.0 The report in perspective

1.0.1 Mobility is an integral part of human existence. However, all types of human mobility are not migration. In NSS surveys, those movements which resulted in change of the usual place of residence (UPR) of the individuals were treated as migration and a household member whose last usual place of residence (UPR) was different from the present place of enumeration was considered a migrant. Though social, cultural, political, personal and natural forces have a bearing on migration, viewing it as an economic phenomenon receives special attention. People may be motivated to change their place of residence because of lack of employment opportunities in the area where they are residing or in the hope of finding better opportunities elsewhere. Apart from migration of the household members, the other types of movements studied in this report are those which do not involve change of usual place of residence, but are short-term and seasonal in nature and predominantly resulting from employment related factors. Besides, this report also brings out in details features of the out-migrants like their present place of residence, whether they are engaged in economic activities and remittances from the out-migrants as well as some particulars of household migration.

1.0.2 An all-India survey on the situation of employment and unemployment and migration particulars in India was carried out during NSS 64 ^th round (July, 2007 to June, 2008). The collection of information on the employment and unemployment part of the schedule particulars was as a part of the annual series of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) which was started in NSS 60 ^th round and repeated in NSS 62 ^nd round. In this round, the scope of the survey on employment and unemployment was further widened with the collection of information on migration particulars of the households, of the household members and of the out-migrants. In this survey, a nationwide enquiry was conducted in a moderately large sample of households to provide estimates on various characteristics pertaining to employment and unemployment and migration in India and some characteristics associated with them at the national and State levels. Based on the data collected during the survey period, estimates pertaining to migration in India along with various characteristics associated with these have been presented in this report.