Migration & Educational Marginalization in Urban India: A Case of Kolkata
Slums

Kamalika Basu

doi:10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i11.033

Title: Migration & Educational Marginalization in Urban India: A Case of Kolkata Slums
Authors: Kamalika Basu
Journal: International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research (IJSSER) ISSN: 2455-8834 Volume: 10 Issue: 11 Publication Date: November 2025 DOI: 10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i11.033
\|\| \|\|
Kamalika Basu Assistant Professor, Dept. of Geography, Dwijendralal College, Krishnagar, Nadia & Ph.D. Research Scholar, RKDF University, Ranchi
MLA 8 Basu, Kamalika. "Migration & Educational Marginalization in Urban India: A Case of Kolkata Slums." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 10, no. 11, Nov. 2025, pp. 6154-6176, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i11.033. Accessed Nov. 2025. APA 6 Basu, K. (2025, November). Migration & Educational Marginalization in Urban India: A Case of Kolkata Slums. Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, 10(11), 6154-6176. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i11.033 Chicago Basu, Kamalika. "Migration & Educational Marginalization in Urban India: A Case of Kolkata Slums." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 10, no. 11 (November 2025), 6154-6176. Accessed November, 2025. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i11.033.
References [1] . Breman, J. (2013). At work in the informal economy of India: A perspective from the bottom up. Oxford University Press. [2] . Census of India. (2011). Census of India 2011: Migration tables. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. [3] . Deshingkar, P., & Akter, S. (2009). Migration and human development in India. United Nations Development Programme. [4] . Kundu, A. (2011). Trends and processes of urbanisation in India. International Institute for Environment and Development. [5] . PROBE Team. (1999). Public report on basic education in India. Oxford University Press. [6] . Srivastava, R., & Sasikumar, S. K. (2003). An overview of migration in India, its impacts and key issues. Regional Conference on Migration, Development and Pro-Poor Policy Choices in Asia. [7] . Tilak, J. B. G. (2002). Education and poverty. Journal of Human Development, 3(2), 191–207. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649880220147301 [8] . UN-Habitat. (2020). World cities report 2020: The value of sustainable urbanization. United Nations Human Settlements Programme. [9] . ASER Centre. (2022). Annual status of education report (Rural & urban). Pratham Education Foundation. [10] . Banerjee, A. V., & Duflo, E. (2011). Poor economics: A radical rethinking of the way to fight global poverty. Public Affairs. [11] . Census of India. (2011). Census of India 2011: Primary census abstract. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. [12] . Desai, S., Dubey, A., Joshi, B. L., Sen, M., Shariff, A., & Vanneman, R. (2010). Human development in India: Challenges for a society in transition. Oxford University Press. [13] . Government of India. (2009). The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. Ministry of Law and Justice. [14] . Mohanty, A. K. (2010). Languages, inequality and marginalization: Implications of the double divide in Indian multilingualism. In R. Mohanty, M. Panda, R. Phillipson, & T. Skutnabb-Kangas (Eds.), Multilingual education for social justice (pp. 102–124). Orient BlackSwan. [15] . National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA). (2016). Educational status of urban deprived children in India. Government of India. [16] . Pratham Education Foundation. (2019). Urban education initiatives: Status and challenges. Pratham. [17] . Smita. (2008). Distress seasonal migration and its impact on children’s education (CREATE Pathways to Access Research Monograph No. 18). University of Sussex. [18] . Thorat, S., & Newman, K. S. (2010). Blocked by caste: Economic discrimination in modern India. Oxford University Press. [19] . UNICEF. (2012). The state of the world’s children: Children in an urban world. UNICEF. [20] . UNICEF. (2019). Education of migrant children in India: Issues and challenges. UNICEF India. [21] . UNICEF. (2021). COVID-19 and learning loss in India. UNICEF India. [22] . Kolkata Municipal Corporation. (2018). Slum profile and basic services report. KMC. [23] . United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. UN General Assembly.
ABSTRACT: Migration has long shaped the socio-economic landscape of Kolkata, drawing large numbers of rural populations from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and other states into the city’s informal settlements in search of livelihood opportunities. These migrant clusters, concentrated in the slum pockets of Kolkata, represent some of the most disadvantaged urban communities, where children face multiple layers of deprivation. Access to education for migrant children remains particularly challenging due to a combination of socio-economic vulnerability, insecure housing, irregular income, and inadequate basic services in slum environments. This study investigates the nature of educational exclusion faced by migrant children in selected slums of Kolkata and identifies emerging opportunities for inclusion. Using a mixed-method approach, primary data were collected through household surveys, interviews with parents, teachers and community workers, and field observations within three major slum clusters. Secondary data has been studied from Census reports, KMC documents and government education statistics for the analysis. The findings reveal four major barriers economic constraints forcing children into labour or household responsibilities, cultural and linguistic differences that create classroom difficulties, institutional challenges such as lack of documents, admission delays and poor school infrastructure and environmental hardships, including congested housing and unsafe neighbourhoods. Despite these obstacles, several enabling factors were identified—government schemes like the Mid-Day Meal and RTE provisions, NGO-run learning centres, supportive teachers, and strong educational aspirations among migrant families. The study argues that strengthening documentation processes, improving school infrastructure within slum clusters, introducing language support programmes, and designing flexible schooling options for seasonal migrants are crucial for enhancing educational access. Addressing these policy gaps would not only reduce educational exclusion but also help integrate migrant children more meaningfully into the urban education system.

IJSSER is Member of