Author(s): Shifa J and Dr. Mini Joseph

Abstract:
Migration, as the word implies, is a temporary or permanent relocation from one place to another. There are ample evidences in human history which shows that people always had migrated to different parts of the world; humans always had a penchant for a migratory lifestyle. This paper ‘A meta-analysis of the push pull factors for migration in India uses a meta-analysis approach using secondary data sources. By analysing the trends for the past couple of decades, we can see that internal migration in India is on the increase every year. This could be attributed to the development of basic infrastructure - like transportation, industrial growth, communication – that has been on the increase in the country in the past few decades. Push factors forces a person to leave their native place and migrate to another place with a relatively better living prospect. Such factors include, but not limited to, lack of enough job opportunities, low wages or salaries, impoverished community, social or racial discrimination, unfavourable environmental conditions and natural calamities. Pull factors are opposites of push factors. They attract people to come to a particular place. One of the most prominent pull factors is the presence of job opportunities and there by the prospect of a better life. The decision for migration is influenced by different factors; be it a push or a pull factor. It should also be noted that the perception of a factor being a push one or a pull one depends on an individual’s perspective. There is clearly a gradient between different regions in various parameters like job opportunities, living conditions, social discrimination and basic amenities. That being the case, what forces the migration is the width of this gradient between the native place and the place of migration. If a factor or a combination of factors that are important to a person are better in another area, that person would then be inclined to migrate.