In a recent post by Concurrents.org titled, “Student Migration due to Disenchantment – An Indian Experience”, the CPPR study on “Youth Student Migration in Kerala” was quoted. It was in the context of addressing the question, “Why do youth go for higher studies abroad?” that the CPPR study was referenced.

“(The CPPR study) asserts that in the coming 10 to 20 years, migration will continue as a potential life choice for achieving life goals for youth in Kerala. It is mostly the desire for high-quality education and better career opportunities that tempt the youth to go for higher education abroad”, read the report.

The survey by CPPR cited that 45% of the migrated students considered migration as a pathway for success and were disenchanted with the current situation in the state.

The study mentions that easy loan availability, thanks to the efficient banking system in the state, is a facilitating factor in increasing youth migration. It may be noted that 60% of the migrant students in the Centre for Public Research study hail from families earning less than USD 5900 annually. There are numerous agencies located in small and big towns of the state to support language learning, complete all the paperwork and home deliver visas. In almost all cases family support for migration was reported as a key facilitating factor.

The CPPR article, “Where Did Our Young People Go?  A Closer Look” by Cyril Sebastian, dives into the results of the survey done as part of the CPPR Youth Leadership Fellowship. It was conducted among 104 student migrants, with interviews of a few of their family members, and extensive secondary studies, from which valuable insights have emerged about the subject at hand. 

You can read the full study by CPPR on youth migration in Kerala here.

Read the full Countercurrents article here.

Views expressed by the author are personal and need not reflect or represent the views of the Centre for Public Policy Research.