Migration influences the social, political and economic life of the people and no government can ignore developing a good statistical system on internal migration in a country. In India, Census and National Sample Surveys (NSS) are two main sources of data on internal migration in the country. This paper examines the two national sources of data on internal migration related to the definitions of migrants, duration of migration, streams and reasons of migration. It brings out that given the importance of internal migration in view of HIV/AIDS and public health impacts, there is a need to account the seasonal migrations/or floating populations in the country. Further, socio-political reasons such as communal riots and ethnic conflict also need to be incorporated explicitly in the reasons of internal migration in India.
URL : 20140127041504.pdf