Trends, patterns and characteristics of migration in India

In some parts of India three out of four households include a migrant. Though migrants constitute about 30 percent of the total population of the country, migration has rarely been studied in India. Migration is the result of numerous factors; many migrate in search of greater opportunities – to earn a better living, to live in a more agreeable environment, in this respect studying migration becomes more relevant. This paper tries to assess the factors involved in the process of migration in general and to analyse the trends, patterns and characteristics of migration in particular. It also deals in detailed manner with social group of migrants, streams of migration, factors responsible for migration and the level of education attained by migrants in India.