Mahi Charak
mahicharak06@gmail.com
Time, the migration of students from Jammu has been described as a matter of ambition and dreams. Young people, it is often said, leave their homes to explore better opportunities in metropolitan cities. However, this explanation overlooks a harsh reality. For a large number of students from Jammu and the wider Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions-migration has gradually become less of a choice and more of a compulsion.
The primary reason is the limited availability of opportunities within the region. Jammu continues to struggle with inadequate educational infrastructure and a narrow employment market. While institutions do exist, they often fall short when compared to those in other Indian states. Irregular academic schedules, limited seats in professional courses and a lack of advanced facilities push students to look beyond the region. For fields such as engineering and medicine, moving out of Jammu is no longer optional-it is necessary.
Employment prospects further deepen this crisis. The job market in Jammu is heavily dependent on government recruitment, which is often delayed and unpredictable. The private sector remains underdeveloped, offering few career pathways for skilled graduates.
As a result, students who invest years in education see little assurance of meaningful employment at home. In contrast, other states provide a wider range of career options, stronger industry connections and faster professional growth. Naturally, students gravitate towards places where their efforts are more likely to be rewarded.
Political instability and administrative irregularities have also played a significant role in shaping this migration trend. Frequent disruptions and slow policy implementation affect institutions directly, creating uncertainty for students. Development is happening, but its pace remains slow.
When compared with cities like Delhi or Mumbai where infrastructure, education and industry grow simultaneously-the developmental gap becomes impossible to ignore. Geographically and economically, Jammu continues to lag behind many parts of the country.
Supporters of the current development narrative often point to visible progress-new AIIMS hospitals, expanding highways and improved road connectivity. These developments are welcome and necessary.
However, infrastructure alone cannot prevent migration unless it is supported by strong educational institutions, job creation and policy stability. Development must translate into real opportunities for students if it is to make a meaningful difference.
This raises a crucial question: are students leaving Jammu to chase dreams or because staying limits their future? For most, the answer is clear. Migration has become a forced pathway to fulfil aspirations that cannot be achieved locally. Students do not leave because they wish to abandon their homeland; they leave because the system has not yet created enough space for them to grow within it.
Until education, employment and development move forward together at a faster pace, the migration of Jammu’s students will continue-not as a dream, but as a necessity.
(The author is Student, Mass Communication and New Media Central University of Jammu)
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