‘You cannot build a skilled society on low-cost labour’
At the inaugural Indian Express Thinc Migration series presented by Omidyar Network India, moderated by Udit Misra, deputy associate editor, panelists discussed the crisis in India’s internal migration.
On migration patterns
S Irudaya Rajan: In the 2011 census, India had 450 million migrants. We have policies in the country to increase migration, and policymakers and economists, who believe urbanisation will lead to economic growth. This is reflected in the Smart Cities Mission; 100 cities are being promoted. There are three types of migrants — one that moves between the states, then within districts and then within the state. If you put that number at 600 million, we have 140 million as inter-district migrants, 400 million are intra-district, and 60 million are inter-state...