Parliament Question: Migration of Rural Population

O.I.H. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2543 ANSWERED ON 05/08/2025 MIGRATION OF RURAL POPULATION 2543. Shri Sanjay HaribhauJadhav: Shri Sanjay UttamraoDeshmukh: Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether the employment is a major reason for migration, if so, the steps taken by the Government to promote self- employment; (b) whether the Government has taken any action to check the migration of rural population to cities in search of better livelihood, if so, the details thereof; (c) the manner in which the Government is promoting rural development and encouraging people to solve the problems arising due to migration and to ensure better employment opportunities for rural people at their native places; (d) the measures taken by the Government so that the rural youth can stay in their own villages, contribute to the local economy and reduce congestion in the urban areas; (e) whether the measures taken by the Government were helpful in stopping migration; and (f) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN) (a) to (f): Migration from rural to urban areas is often driven by the search for better employment and livelihood opportunities. To address this, the Government has adopted a multi-dimensional strategy to check the migration of rural people towards urban areas. This includes provision of improved infrastructural facilities, equitable dispersal of resources to remove regional disparities, employment generation, imparting of skills, encouraging Page 1 of 4entrepreneurial activity, undertaking land reforms, enhancing literacy, and providing easy access to financial assistance & credit facilities etc. So far as the Ministry of Rural Development(MoRD) is concerned, it is implementing various rural development schemes viz.,Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan MantriAwaasYojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY), DeendayalAntyodayaYojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), DeenDayalUpadhyayaGrameenKaushalyaYojana (DDUGKY), Rural Self Employment Training Institutes(RSETIs), National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) and Watershed Development Component of Pradhan MantriKrishiSinchayeeYojana (WDC-PMKSY) for overall development of rural areas of the country. These schemes/programmes aim to alleviate poverty and to bring about overall improvement in the quality of life of the people in rural areas of the country by strengthening livelihood opportunities, providing minimum guaranteed employment, promoting self-employment, skilling of youths in various useful trades and entrepreneurship qualities, infrastructure development and provision of social assistance. Some of the schemes/programmes that have a positive impact on reducing migration are as under: - i. MGNREGS is a demand driven wage employment scheme which provides for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.It provides livelihood security, i.e. fall-back options for livelihood for the rural households, when no better employment opportunity is available. In the current financial year 2025-26 (as on 31.07.2025), a total number of 3.95 crore households have availed employment and a total of 112.55 crorepersondays have been generated under the scheme. ii. Pradhan MantriAwaasYojana- Gramin (PMAY-G) with effect from 1st April 2016 aims to provide assistance to eligible rural households with an overall target to construct 4.95 crorepucca houses with basic amenities by 2029. Under PMAY-G, there is a provision of 90/95 person-days of unskilled wage labour under MGNREGS for construction of house over and above the unit assistance. The construction of a house under PMAY-G generates direct employment of approximately Page 2 of 4201 person-days, which includes 56 skilled, 34 Semi-skilled, and 111 unskilled person-days. Further,under the Rural Mason Training program of PMAY-G, so far 3 lakh (approx.) rural masons have been trained and certified.Under PMAY-G, indirect employment is also generated through the production of building materials and their transportation for the house construction. iii. PMGSY is aimed at providing all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations, thus enabling improved access to markets and employment opportunities, both locally and in nearby urban centres, enabled daily commuting, thereby reducing the need for permanent migration, facilitated growth in agriculture, education, healthcare, and overall rural prosperity and also contributing significantly to poverty reduction, self-employment generation and rural entrepreneurship. iv. MoRD is implementing DAY-NRLM to improve the livelihoods of rural poor households and organize these households for their social and financial inclusion. DAY-NRLM aims at mobilizing rural poor households into Self Help Groups (SHGs) and continuously nurturing and supporting them to take economic activities till they attain an appreciable increase in income over a period of time to come out of poverty. As on 30th June, 2025, the Mission is being implemented in 7145 blocks in 745 districts across 28 States and 6 UTs (except Delhi and Chandigarh). Cumulatively, 10.05 crore women has been mobilized into 90.90 lakh SHGs. v. This Ministry is also implementing two schemes viz., DDUGKY and RSETI in the field of skill development for rural poor youth for their gainful employment with a view to eradicate poverty in the country. Under RSETI, there are around 70 approved courses under which necessary skilling can be imparted to rural youth. vi. WDC-PMKSY is meant for development of rainfed and degraded lands in the country thereby promoting agricultural activities. Under WDC-PMKSY-2, from 2022-23 to 2024-25, 1.3 lakh Water Harvesting Structures have been created/ rejuvenated, 1.90 hectares has been brought under protective irrigation, 13.42 lakh farmers benefitted and 189.96 lakh mandays have been generated. In addition to these, the Government of India has launched several self-employment schemes to empower individuals and promote entrepreneurship, like Prime Minister Employment Page 3 of 4Generation Programme (PMEGP), Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), Startup India, PM VishwakarmaYojana etc. These initiatives provide financial support, skill training, and entrepreneurship opportunities to help people become self-reliant. All these measures encourage people to stay in rural areas, earn their livelihood and raise their quality of life near their places of residence and hence act as a deterrent to migration of rural population to cities. ***** Page 4 of 4