MIGRATION FROM BIHAR, INDIA: TREND, PATTERN, DURATION AND DESTINATION

The census is one of the key sources of migration data that provide insights on internal, interstate and international migration; researchers have often ignored it in internal and international migration studies despite its usefulness. It is primarily used to explore interstate migration. With this understanding, this study uses census data of India to explore all three kinds of migration (internal, interstate and international) in the context of Bihar, an Indian state known for the large outflow of migrants (Sharma, 2005). The study uses the data on migration from the 1991, 2001 and 2011 censuses and provides insights into long-term migration behaviour. In that context, this study has explored the volume, streams, gender, origin, destination and reasons for migration. It also shows the implications of the bifurcation of the state on migration.