PDAG, in association with IIMAD and with support from the Department of Labour, Government of Jharkhand, designed and conducted the Jharkhand Migration Survey 2023 — the first state-level study to estimate migration from Jharkhand, with a particular focus on labour migration. Designed as a statewide mixed-methods study, the research combined household surveys with life histories, focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), and field observations. This approach sought not only to map migration trends across Jharkhand but also to examine how policies, institutions, and lived realities interact to shape patterns of migration across the state.

Undertaken as a key deliverable of the Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative (SRMI), the household survey covered 400 locations across all 24 districts of Jharkhand, reaching 10,700 households and enumerating more than 58,000 individuals. In addition, over 200 qualitative interviews were conducted in identified high out-migration zones to develop a comprehensive and contextualised understanding of migration from Jharkhand.

Supported by an advisory board of eminent academics, including Dr S. Irudaya Rajan, Prof. Priya Deshingkar, Dr Anu Sablok, Dr Benoy Peters, and Dr Mukta Nair, the research examined the drivers, motivations, and pathways of labour migration; its effects on migrants, households, and communities; the experiences of return migrants; and the challenges faced by migrant workers. The study culminated in a White Paper submitted to the Department of Labour, presenting statewide estimates, key findings, and policy recommendations for the Government of Jharkhand.

The findings of the White Paper were subsequently acknowledged by the Government of Jharkhand in the Jharkhand Economic Survey 2025, while several of its recommendations continue to inform the state’s approach to migration governance.