GRFDT

GRFDT Research Monograph Series  V

Abstract

With estimated $70 billion remittances received by India in 2014, it has gradually been viewed as the potential creating socioeconomic development of migrant families left behind. However, the long-term wellbeing is possible through the productive use of remittance. The study tries to understand the impact of remittance on the selected household with the help of selected variable such as an impact on health, education, entrepreneurial activities, ownership of resources, and women empowerment. The respondents were selected from the Mithilanchal region of Bihar, India, as many official and unofficial sources, consider Madhubani and Darbhanga as the dominant districts of migrant remittance along with Kisangang and Siwan districts of Bihar.

The study finds that household expenditure stands priority of migrant households along with the land purchase and house construction. In contrast to the analysis drawn from existing literature, the study did not find support for the enhanced role of women in most financial activities including child health and education. The study concludes that lack of information about the available remittance mechanism at the homeland hinders the transfer, which sometimes results in the use of illegal measures like Hawala.  However, the study finds remittances to be an important and reliable source of sustainable livelihood for many families left behind. 

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About Author 

Rakesh Ranjan is Research Scholar, at Centre for the Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. He is part of the editorial team of the Global Research Forum on Diaspora and Transnationalism (GRFDT), an international think tank based in New Delhi, India. Mr Ranjan has contributed several articles and chapters in national and international referred publications. He has research interest in Diaspora, Entrepreneurship, International Migration, Labour and Development, Gender Studies, Media Studies, etc. In addition, he has worked and partici-pated in various conferences on diaspora, labour and development.