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The India Centre for Migration (ICM) formerly known as Indian Council of Overseas Employment (ICOE) is a ‘not for profit’ society established by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) in July, 2008 to serve as a think tank on all matters relating to ‘International Migration’.
The ICM undertakes empirical, analytical and policy related research, implements pilot projects to document good practices and assists in capacity building of stakeholders at the sub-national level. The mandate of the Council is to devise and execute medium to long term strategies to enable Indian emigrant workers and professionals to move up the value chain and to position India as a preferred source of qualified, skilled and trained human resources across a wide gamut of sectors.
VISION
Lead ‘evidence based’ work on international migration to support informed policy making and enable strategic interventions for a coherent and harmonised response to the transnational movement of people.
MISSION
Partner with individuals, institutions and governments to drive empirical, analytical and policy related research; enhance capacities and pilot good practices in international migration and its governance.
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
The Council has a two- tier body comprising of a Governing Body and an Executive Directorate. The Governing Body provides the broad policy framework for the programmes and activities of the Council.
The Governing Body is headed by Secretary, MOIA who is the Chairman while the other Members include the Secretaries or their representatives from the Department of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labour and Employment; Secretaries of three State Governments by rotation and four external nominees. The Chief Executive Officer, ICM functions as Member Secretary of the Council and looks after the functions of the Council and its operations, assisted by a small team.
KEY PARTNERSHIPS
ICM is building strong research partnerships with institutions of international repute as well as multilateral organisations. Some of the partner institutions include:
* European University Institute (EUI), Florence, Italy
* International Organization for Migration (IOM), India
* Migration Policy Institute (MPI), Washington, USA
* Hellenic Migration Policy Institute, Athens, Greece
* V. V. Giri National Labour Institute, India
* UN Women, India
ICM also works closely with the following institutions which have partnered with MOIA for various research initiatives on international migration:
* Center for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, India
* Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India
* Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
* Migration Institute (IMI), University of Oxford, UK
* University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
INITIATIVES AT ICM
I. Skill Development Initiative for Potential Migrants from the North-Eastern States of India is a pilot project currently underway in eight North-Eastern states in partnership with International Organization for Migration (IOM). The objective of the project is to provide job readiness and augment employability of the potential overseas migrants, in the international labour market, especially high demand sectors of hospitality and healthcare. The project will develop standards andan internationally recognized framework for skills up-gradation, assessment, accreditation and certification. The project will be scaled up at national level.
II. Developing a knowledge-base for policy making on India–EU Migration project is being implemented in partnership with EUI, Florence, with an objective to consolidate a constructive dialogue between the EU and India on migration covering all migration-related aspects. The project is co-financed by European Commission (EC).The objective of the project is to assemble high-level Indian-EU expertise in major disciplines that deal with migration (demography, economics, law, sociology and politics) with a view to building up migration studies in India and to provide the Government of India as well as the European Union, its Member States, the state governments, academia and civil society, with evidence-based policy-oriented research, capacity building, and outreach programmes at sub-national level.
III. Study on Health of Migrant Workers from India in the Gulf is being undertaken by ICM in collaboration with WHO and IOM in three major Indian states of origin (Kerala, Andhra, Pradesh, Punjab), and in the UAE, Oman and Bahrain.
IV. Empowerment of Women Migrant Workers in the Gulf is a pilot project instituted by ICM in collaboration with UN Women for empowering women migrant workers in the Gulf. The project will be implemented over a period of two years in select districts of two major states of origin for women migrants workers; Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The project aims to institutionalize ‘good practices’ in the entire cycle of migration from pre-departure to return and resettlement through a series of awareness and capacity building programmes covering all stakeholders in the migration process.
V. Labour Market Assessment (LMA) of six European countrieswas conducted by ICM in partnership with IOM to present a market overview and sectoral opportunities in the labor markets in respective countries. The LMA also provided broad-based as well as short-term recommendations for potential improvement on the supply side of labour mobility in India. The second phase of Labour Market Assessment will be carried out in select EU Member States, Australia and Canada.
VI. Research Project on the Movement of Indian Capital, Goods and Labour in Africa in partnership with The Centre for Indian Studies in Africa (CISA) - Wits University to create the basis for a realistic assessment of Indian capital and labour in Africa; and inform policy and practice in India. The project will build statistical and data analysis systems and establish institutional links with think-tanks in Africa to support evidence based research. The research outputs will inform India’s engagement with matters of investments and management of overseas Indian labour with particular reference to skills needed. It will also provide recommendations for action to improve labour flows and to engage with the issue of entrepreneurial capital as opposed to direct investments.
VII. Second Employer’s Conference will be organizedin 2012 with an objective to showcase India as a preferred country of origin for skilled and trained human resource. The conference will be hosted by Haryana Overseas Placement Assistance Society (HOPAS) and is expected to be attended by recruiters from EU member states, Gulf, South-East Asia and Australia.
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME AT ICM
The internship programme at ICM is geared towards encouraging young and dynamic students to explore the field of international migration. Internship at ICM is designed to bring together talent from across the globe to understand and support ICM’s work and also provide excellent learning opportunities for our interns. Through practical work assignments and interactions with key stakeholders involved in migration management in India, the internship programme aims to enhance the educational experience ofinterns. Students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines are encouraged to explore new ideas and media to respond to the opportunities and challenges posed in migration. Expected outcomes of the internship programme are not confined to research papers or presentations and may include innovative research products such as photo essays and audio-visual documentaries.
To ensure good learning opportunities for interns and enhance the scope for mutual benefit, every intern is provided with a mentor at ICM. The scope for flexibility in ICM’s internship programme is reflected in the types of internship on offer, namely, on-site, off-site (under the supervision of a partner institution) and part-time internship (a combination of on-site and off-site internship).
The internship programme at ICM is broadly classified into:
a) The ICM Junior Internship Programme (ICM-JIP) provides undergraduate and graduate students a platform to explore the various dimensions to issues related to international migration. Interns may work on any of three main pillars of the ICM’s work, i.e. research, capacity building and projects. The ICM-JIP is open to undergraduates and graduate students.
b) ICM Young Scholars’ Internship Programme (ICM-YSIP) is geared towards individuals who have already completed their graduate programme and/or are enrolled for an MPhil/PhD programme. In previous years ICM has had a dynamic set of interns from across the country who have made important contributions in migration studies. Five interns worked on a diverse set of topics:
• International Migration of Nurses: a Sample Survey of Nurse Migrants from Delhi.
• Measuring Regulatory Restrictiveness on Indian IT and Healthcare Professionals’ Movement in select Developed Countries.
• Impact of Remittances on India’s Regional Towns: the Utilization Pattern and Economic Development.
• Host Country Economic Conditions and Remittance Flows: a Panel Data Study of Sixty-seven Countries between 1990-2009.
• Economic, Socio-cultural and Familial issues of Return Migration: a Sample Survey of Return Migrants in Hyderabad.
In 2012 - 2013, ICM continued to attract interns from some of the best institutions in India, including interns from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and the University of Hyderabad. Thus far in 2013, there have been four interns of which two are pursuing undergraduate level courses in Delhi University and New York University. The topics covered by the interns in 2012 were:
* India Migration Factbook.
* Gulf Migration and Hyderabad: a Study of an Arabian Colony in
Hyderabad.
* NRI Marriages: Plight of Women and the Recourse to Justice.
* EU framework for Recognition of Skills in the Health care Sector.
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