Students Migration: Past, Present and Future Migration- A Study in Shillong among the Migrant College Students from Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram State

Migration of college students in India has been a relatively neglected area of research. Most of the migration studies have tended to focus on permanent migration. In our country, studies on migration have been confined hugely on migrant laborers, followed by returned migration, refugees and other displaced people, but comprehensive studies on migrant college students, especially in the northeast of India, have been few and far between. In this connection, an attempt has been made to study migration of college students by examining their past, present and future migration. Interstate migration of college students in North east takes place on account of plethora of reasons. Unlike mainland India, where interstate migration college students primarily take place because of lack of educational infrastructure, besides this reason, migration of college students to Shillong also occur because of spiralling violence in many adjoining states which have been ravaged by decades of insurgency and political turmoil. Moreover, proximity of Shillong to many neighboring states and its reputation as an educational hub in the region also attracts college migrants. The city also offers educational facilities at a relatively cheaper price and it is also a preferred destination for students whose ultimate goal is to migrate to bigger cities in India