District Level Analysis of Urbanization from Rural-to-Urban Migration in the Rajasthan State

Migration is defined on the basis on the last residence concept hence migration in the 2001 census refers to those who migrated in ten years (1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001) preceding the year of survey 2001. The gross decadal inflow of rural to urban migrants as a percentage of total urban population in 2001 turns out to be a little above 7 per cent at the all-India level (Table on next page). However, it varies considerably across states. Both industrialized states like Gujarat and Maharashtra and the backward states like Orissa and Madhya Pradesh show high rates of migration. Similarly examples can be found from both the types of states which have recorded sluggish migration rate, e.g. industrialized states such as Tamilnadu and West Bengal and backward states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan. This reveals that share of the rural to urban migrants in urbanization differs from state to state. A table giving rural to urban migrants for the period 1991-2001 as a % of urban population relation is given in table on ensuing page. Nevertheless, rural-urban migration rates at intrastate level have been a phenomenal in India as this flow dominates the interstate flows. Since the intrastate migration rates are much higher in magnitude than the interstate migration rates therefore it makes an interesting subject area to comprehend various economic, social and cultural factors connected closely with it. A district level analysis for Rajasthan state is thus attempted to perceive urbanization due to migration their interlinkages and affiliations.

According to the census report of 2001 the share of urban population in Rajasthan has inched up to 23.38% as compared to 15.06% mentioned in the census report 1901. Number of towns in the Rajasthan increased to 216 in the census 2001 against 133 in the 1901 census that depicts 62.4% of growth in this period of time whereas at national level this growth has been 169.36% in same time span. Share of Rajasthan’s urban population in the country dropped to 4.6% from 5.98% over a period of century whereas in terms of growth of number of towns, state share also slipped down to 4.18% from 6.94% in this same period of time. Therefore, it can be clearly claimed that Rajasthan has to go a long way to match with national figures as regards the characteristics of urbanization is concerned whether it is growth in urban population or towns. However, there has been a meager improvement in the percentage share of state’s urban population in the national urban population as it has grown to 4.1% to 4.52%, 4.52% to 4.62% and then to 4.64% in last three successive censuses.

The migrants contribution in urbanization is on the rising over the decades as 16.4% of the total migrants in the Rajasthan settled in urban areas during the period 1971-80 and the figure which went up to 22.4% during the duration 1981-1990 and further advanced to 25.4% in the duration 1991-2000. This trend is evident invariably in all the districts of the state though the contribution in urbanization by the migrants varies from district to district. In some districts the share of migrants moving to urban areas is very impressive though in others it is not that much high.

The census analysis of Barmer district of Rajasthan reveals that 7.7%, 7.1% & 4.0% of total migrants moved to urban areas in last three decades i.e. 1991-2000, 1981-90 & 1971-1980. This percentage share for Jalore was 9.6, 8.1 & 4.7%, and for Banswara it was 9.1, 7.9 & 4.7%. The figures disclose that these districts had poor share of migrants to urban areas. On the other hand there are districts like Jaipur, Ajmer, Kota and Bhilwara where the percentage share of migrants settling in urban areas with context to the total migrants is comparatively much higher. This percentage share of rural migrants in three last successive decades for these districts is given in table placed below. To apprehend the trends in the migration of population to the urban areas in different districts of Rajasthan, based on the share of urbanization due to migration can be categorized as follows: Districts falling in Category 1 are those, which observed higher urbanization due to migration in comparison with state level figures during three consecutive decadal periods. In these Districts, the proportion of migrants coming to urban areas is higher than the state proportion of such migration.

District falling in Category 2 performed better as far urbanization due to migration in last two decades is concerned. Districts in this category observed higher urbanization share due to migration than what was seen in the state in last two decadal times whereas three decades back share of migrants to urban areas was lower in these districts from that

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