Relationship Between Migration and Rural Livelihood: A Grassroots Analysis from an Eastern State of India

Most of the research on migration has focused on changes in income due to migration. But there are very few studies that show the overall livelihood effect of migration in India. This study has analysed the impact of migration on the sustainable livelihood condition of migrant households (MHH). The livelihood condition has been analysed based on the sustainable livelihood framework as financial, human, physical and social capital of migrant and non-migrant households (NMHH). The study has used a cross-sectional, primary survey to collect data on the impact of cyclical migration on the livelihood condition among MHH from three districts of Odisha: Balangir, Baleswar, and Ganjam. The survey includes 651 households out of 1,906 population households through a multi-stage stratified sampling method. The comparisons of livelihood improvement between migrants and NMHH are analysed through descriptive statistics and percentage terms and are presented in a cross-tabulation. Further, the principal component analysis method was used to calculate the financial, human and physical capital and finally the Livelihood Capital Index. The average treatment effect method was used to explain the significant difference in various capital indices among MHH and NMHH across social groups. Remittance is a crucial factor to improve and manage the financial, physical and human capital among MHH. But the comparison between MHH and NMHH suggests that the Livelihood Capital Index of MHH is significantly lower than that of NMHH. MHH can meet their minimum required consumption expenditure through remittance income. It is concluded that migration does not improve the living condition; rather, it subordinates to sustain the livelihood in the current socio-economic situation.