Authors :
Dr. Reena Gupta; Shubham Kumar
Volume/Issue :
Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 1 - January
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/y2pdnn9y
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/nhdsa5mc
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jan1063
Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.
Abstract :
Migration has become an important means of livelihood in rural India, especially in border districts where local
employment opportunities are extremely limited. Excessive dependence on agriculture, land fragmentation, limited
industrial development and lack of basic facilities force rural youth to go out and work. A similar situation is also seen in
Birdpur block of Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, where migration has become a major part of the survival
strategy of rural families. The presented study is based on primary data collected from 150 respondents in about 50 villages
of Birdpur block. The main objective of the study is to analyze the type of migration, destination, age structure of migrants
and its economic, social, mental, health and political impacts. Through a questionnaire based survey, an attempt was made
to understand how migration is affecting the lives of rural families. The results of the study show that temporary migration
is most prevalent in Birdpur block and participation of youth in migration is high. This is an indication that the working
age group is not getting adequate employment at the local level. There has been an increase in the income of some families
through migration, but no significant and lasting improvement has been seen in the economic condition of most families. A
large portion of remittances are spent on food, health, education and loan repayments, limiting opportunities for savings
and investment. Negative effects of migration have also come to light at the social and mental level. Problems like distance
from family, increased workload on women, difficulty in taking care of children and mental stress were found to be common.
Additionally, inadequate access to health services and lack of local political participation are also important challenges
associated with migration. Therefore, this study underlines that migration is not only an economic solution, but it also gives
rise to many social and human problems. Therefore, to reduce the dependence on migration, there is a great need for
employment generation, skill development training and effective implementation of social security schemes at the local level,
so that rural youth can get opportunities for respectable and secure livelihood in their own areas.
Keywords :
Migration, Livelihood, Border Area, Socio-Economic Status, Employment Survive.
References :
- Government of India (2011). Census India 2011: Tables related to migration. Registrar General of India, New Delhi.
- District Statistics Office, Siddharthnagar (2011). District Census Handbook: Siddharthnagar District. Uttar Pradesh Government.
- Government of Uttar Pradesh (2019). Human Development Report: Siddharthnagar District. Planning Department, Lucknow.
- Singh, R. And Verma, S. (2015). Rural migration and livelihood strategies: a geographical study. Indian Journal of Social Sciences, 42(2), 115–130.
- Deshingkar, P. (2006). Labor migration in India: causes and consequences. Journal of Development Studies, 33(3), 45–62.
- Sharma, K. (2014). Migration and social change in border areas. Journal of Social Research, 28(1), 77–95.
- Nepal–India Center for Border Studies (2018). Labor migration and risks in border districts. Kathmandu.
- Yadav, P. (2017). Relation of rural unemployment and migration in Uttar Pradesh. Journal of Geography Research, 39(1), 56–70.
- National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) (2010). Employment and Unemployment Report in India. Government of India.
- Singh, N. (2016). Migration and women empowerment: rural perspective. Journal of Women's Studies, 21(2), 89–104.
- Planning Commission (2013). Rural Development and Livelihood Security Report. Government of India, New Delhi.
- Kumar, A. (2018). Impact of migration on children's education: A regional study. Education and Society, 12(3), 44–58.
- Uttar Pradesh Rural Livelihood Mission (2020). Self-help groups and rural employment. Lucknow.
- Roy, T. (2012). Unorganized sector and labor protection. Journal of Labor Studies, 19(1), 23–41.
- Government of India (2015). MNREGA Annual Report. Ministry of Rural Development, New Delhi.
- Singh, D. (2019). Agricultural crisis and migration in the Terai region. Journal of North Indian Geography, 14(2), 101–118.
- Local magazine, Siddharthnagar (2021). Special issue on migration and rural life. District Information Office.
- Chaudhary, M. (2017). Status of health services in border districts. Health and Society, 9(1), 66–82.
- Bhatt, S. (2015). Migration and mental health: rural studies. Psychology Review, 11(2), 53–67.
- Field Survey Data, Birdpur Block (2026). Primary field survey, 150 respondents. Unpublished research records.
Migration has become an important means of livelihood in rural India, especially in border districts where local
employment opportunities are extremely limited. Excessive dependence on agriculture, land fragmentation, limited
industrial development and lack of basic facilities force rural youth to go out and work. A similar situation is also seen in
Birdpur block of Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, where migration has become a major part of the survival
strategy of rural families. The presented study is based on primary data collected from 150 respondents in about 50 villages
of Birdpur block. The main objective of the study is to analyze the type of migration, destination, age structure of migrants
and its economic, social, mental, health and political impacts. Through a questionnaire based survey, an attempt was made
to understand how migration is affecting the lives of rural families. The results of the study show that temporary migration
is most prevalent in Birdpur block and participation of youth in migration is high. This is an indication that the working
age group is not getting adequate employment at the local level. There has been an increase in the income of some families
through migration, but no significant and lasting improvement has been seen in the economic condition of most families. A
large portion of remittances are spent on food, health, education and loan repayments, limiting opportunities for savings
and investment. Negative effects of migration have also come to light at the social and mental level. Problems like distance
from family, increased workload on women, difficulty in taking care of children and mental stress were found to be common.
Additionally, inadequate access to health services and lack of local political participation are also important challenges
associated with migration. Therefore, this study underlines that migration is not only an economic solution, but it also gives
rise to many social and human problems. Therefore, to reduce the dependence on migration, there is a great need for
employment generation, skill development training and effective implementation of social security schemes at the local level,
so that rural youth can get opportunities for respectable and secure livelihood in their own areas.
Keywords :
Migration, Livelihood, Border Area, Socio-Economic Status, Employment Survive.