3 min read Oct 23, 2026 06:21 AM IST First published on: Oct 23, 2026 at 06:21 AM IST

As the Kharif harvest comes to an end, seasonal migration begins across many parts of India. But this year, drought is adding a new dimension, with seasonal migrants increasingly becoming “climate migrants”. Intense drought, drying fields and shrinking livelihood opportunities are likely to push more families towards sugarcane fields, brick kilns, construction sites and other worksites in search of livelihoods. The most overlooked victims of such migration are often children. Forced to migrate with their parents, they face interrupted schooling, learning loss, and the risk of prolonged educational exclusion. According to the last Census, India had 9.29 crore migrant children. At present, there is no reliable estimate of how many are out of school.…