A defining paradox of India's development is that cities are celebrated as 'growth engines' while villages increasingly serve as invisibl 'fuel'. Urban growth relies on precarious rural labour amid agrarian distress and uneven development. Internal migration thus reflects structural inequality rather than choice. Shaped by caste, gender, and regional disparities, distress-driven rural-urban migration has become a social fact, demanding renewed focus on rural transformation. The presentation will deal with various aspects of this phenomenon such as structural inequality, societal structuring, inter-generational challenges and consequences and also discuss pathways to deal with the issue of distress migration.
Dr. Kuldeepsingh Rajput is a migration scholar, educator, and development practitioner, with a deep engagement in issues of internal migration, informal labour, inclusive education, and rural–tribal development in India. His work lies at the intersection of research, teaching, and grassroots practice, with a focus on amplifying the voices of marginalised communities. Over the past fifteen years, he has worked across academia, grassroots initiatives, and policy research, striving to bridge knowledge and practice. His articles have been published in Indian Express, The Hindu, Times of India and reputed journals such as Economic and Political Weekly. He currently leads the RUBAL Foundation, a Maharashtra based non-profit working with potential migrants in rural–tribal regions as well as migrant workers in the urban informal sector. Web: www.rubalfoundation.org www.drkuldeepsingh.in