Rural development in Nepal
People are moving from one place to another since ancient period, which is a continuous
international phenomenon. People migrate in search of better opportunities for a better
quality of life. Large numbers of migrants move from underdeveloped and developing
countries to developed countries for diverse reasons. In this regard, a high number of
Nepalese people are also leaving their country for the sake of good employment opportunities
and a better life. While observing the trend of migration, some are forced to move, due to
conflict, civil war or to escape from discrimination and prejudices, while others may
voluntarily emigrate.
Migration or emigration is nothing new to Nepal. A large number of Nepalese people go
abroad to work in the absence of fruitful local employment in the country. Most of the
migrants abroad are working in a vulnerable situation without any effective legal protection
by the Nepalese government as well as the receiving government support. Unequal wages
prevailed between migrant workers and the nationals but the migrant workers cannot speak
about it due to the fear of losing their job. Exploitation by foreign companies in the
workplaces is reported often but no specific labor diplomacy has been adopted by the
Nepalese Government except for some cases.
The study often shows the emigration from rural to urban areas and the trend of emigration to
foreign countries has also been focused here because the subject is importantly attracted for
active member of the society i.e (18-40 years of age) and which mainly affect the rural
society because at least one people from most of the house goes abroad or urban areas for
various reasons. Migration is affected by two factors: pull factors and push factors. The pull
factors are attracted by the advantage of particular place such as employment opportunities,
economic possibilities, education, health facilities, higher standard of living, new industries,
entertainment and political stability. Similarly, the push factors are lack of jobs in the village
which is one of the main reasons for emigration. Additionally, now a days, emigrants
emphasized on education and health services of their families. It is clear from the fact that
some emigrants’ families are in the cities to educate their children at Boarding schools.
Lack of gainful employment coupled with poverty in rural areas has pushed people
out of their villages in search of a better existence in the cities of developing
countries. These migrants do not possess the skills or the education to enable them to
find good paid, secure employment in the formal sector, and they have to settle for work in
the informal sector. In Nepal, there is another section of the population too, which is
compelled to join the informal sector. They are conflict affected people, who have migrated
to urban centres for safe living and secure subsistence livelihoods. Studies have shown
that the low skilled rural migrants live in all countries of Asia, but they are more
prevalent in the poorer countries (Bhowmik, 2005:2256) such as Nepal, India,
Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The informal sector has experienced rapid growth in developing countries and has
consequently attracted increasing attention among academics, researchers, social
development activists, and policy planners. It is generally believed that the rapid growth of
the sector has been influenced by increasing unemployment in developing countries.
According to ILO (1998/99 in), the lack of jobs in the formal sector of the economy as well
as the lack of skills in a large part of the labour force has resulted in the growth of a
substantial informal sector in which most workers are in low-paid employment under
unregulated and poor working conditions.
The informal sector encompasses largely unrecognized, unrecorded and unregulated small
scale activities including; small enterprises, household enterprises, self-employed sectors
such as street venders, cleaners, shoe-shiners, hawkers etc. ILO (2004), Shrinivas (2004) and
Sethuraman (1997) have defined the informal sector, as essentially covering the unorganized
spectrum of economic activities in commerce, agriculture, construction, manufacturing,
transportation and services, which absorbs as much as 60 percent of the labour force in urban
areas of developing countries. The informal sector of an economy can thus be defined in
terms of lack of governmental regulation or lack of institutions that provide job security and
benefits. Comprising the largest part of the economies of developing countries, the sector
depends on small scale individual entrepreneurship, almost always without the benefit of
official support or services (http://en.wikipedia.org, accessed on 22-09-06). In the urban
context, the informal sector includes small enterprise operators selling food and goods or
offering services and thereby involving the cash economy and market transactions (Suharto,
2003:115). The UIS – Urban Informal Sector – is thus more diverse than the rural one and
includes a vast variety of economic activities through which most urban families earn their
livelihoods.
The social, economic, psychological, political, institutional and other determinants cause
people to migrate from one place to another (Singh, 1998). Human migration is the
permanent or semi-permanent movement of people that affect economic structures,
population densities, culture and politics. This movement may occur domestically or
internationally, and can affect economic structures, population densities, culture, and politics.
A person who crosses the boundary of own country or places of country is called an out-
migrant. Emigration refers to movement out of a particular territory in connection with the
international migration (Bhende and Karnitkar, 1998). On the basis of assumed causes
influencing human movement, international migration can be broadly categorized into two
groups: voluntary and involuntary (Peterson, 1978).
Historically, Nepali people emigrate for three main purposes: a) movement related to military
recruitment, b) Movement for agricultural and other economic activities, and c) marriage
migration. Mostly the people from hills and mountains emigrate to terai region or out of the
country (Subedi, 1991).
Nepal had been a country of destination for immigrants from both north and south in past.
Instances of emigration from Nepal were not known then. However, after the Sugauli Treaty
(1816), the flow of migration to India got rises to be recruited in the British Indian Army. The
first Army Battalion (Sirmour Battalian) risen from among the Nepalese prisoners of war was
the major turning point in the large-scale emigration of Nepalese people (Kanskar, 1984). Of
course, there were movement of people from Kathmandu to Tibet for business but their
numbers were limited (400 to 500 families).
Emigration has been the common phenomenon to both rich and poor families. The majority
of people emigrate to India. Poor are emigrating for their livelihood while the rich are for
prosperous economic status. The investment for emigration differs according to the economic
status of people. Poor are emigrating to India and Arabian countries as the small amount of
sum is enough and rich are emigrating to European and American countries like German,
England, America, Canada, Australia etc. from where villagers breathed a sign of relief
through remittance (Gautam, 1999).
The 1952/54 census of Nepal was the first to report the volume of emigration from Nepal. 1,
98, 120 Nepalese were absent from home for more than six months according to this census.
Before, there are no empirical records on emigration till 1951. At present, emigration is one
of the most important trend and process in Nepal. Mostly, the unemployed young males
emigrate for better opportunities and for jobs. It may reduce the unemployment problem to
some extent but brings problems in the long run causing a shortage of active manpower for
developmental activities of the nation, dependence on market goods due to remittance from
the emigrants, weakening the relationship among family and neighbors including negative
socio-economic impacts.
The number of foreign employment jobs declined by 17 percent in the first month of financial
year 2074/75. In the meantime, 42, 511 youths have been distributed with labor approval. In
the last year, 51,100 people were depicted. The Government has opened more than 100
countries for Nepali workers. Most of the Nepali employee goes to gulf countries and due to
blockade in Qatar this year, the number of emigrant to Qatar decreases and it directly affect
the labour migration. The most of the migrant workers are found to be from Terai region.
This year, the labours for foreign employment decrease so that it will directly affect the
economic condition of the country- one of the economists says. Since the government has
implemented the decision of free visas and tickets, the number of young people going to
foreign employment has decreased. Its direct impact is seen in remittance. After the
decrement of foreign employment, the growth rate of the remittances is declining.
Remittances have also declined in the country’s total gross domestic product (GDP).
Remittances in the last period have declined by three percent over the previous period. The
contribution of remittances in the present period has fallen to 26.8 percent in GDP which in
previous period was 29.6 percent. (Kapri, 2017).
English 
简体中文