Migration and Human Development Dynamics: A Study in Bankura District, West Bengal

Abstract: In recent times migration has become one of the most important socio-economic phenomena influencing human development in India. In the rural hinterland, it acts as a survival mechanism and an instrument of social change. This paper probes the process and impact of migration on human development in Bankura District, a crisis‐prone area with poor agricultural productivity, recurring droughts and insufficient employment opportunities in West Bengal. Drawing on primary data and secondary literature, the paper analyzes the reasons for and nature of migration, as well as its impact on household income, education, health and quality of life. Geographical mapping and statistical methods were used to detect spatial patterns of flow movement within the district. The results indicate that migration has positive influence on both livelihood diversification, human development and regional socio-economic changes mainly through remittances. But migration also has its social implications such as family disintegration, increase in women’s work load, and local labor force drain. The research reiterates the call for policy interventions to impact positively on the management of migration to increase its developmental benefits, whilst downscaling social woes.