NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday constituted a high-level committee to study how illegal infiltration and other factors lead to unnatural demographic changes across the country.
Chaired by Justice (Retd) Prakash Prabhakar Nawlekar, the panel’s members include Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, former IAS officer Durga Shankar Mishra, retired IPS officer Balaji Shrivastava and educationist Shamika Ravi.
Union home minister Amit Shah said, illegal infiltration and other reasons leading to unnatural demographic change is a very big challenge. The new panel is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on August 15, 2025 to constitute a high-powered demography mission, he said.
Describing the issue as one that goes beyond population data, Shah said demographic change has direct implications for sovereignty, law and order, social structure and the preservation of tribal communities. He said the initiative reflects a proactive effort to protect the country’s integrity and social fabric through “well-informed and decisive action”.
The committee has been tasked with submitting its report within a year. It will consult all stakeholders and propose comprehensive policy measures to address emerging concerns.
Terms of reference
Comprehensively deliberate upon the challenges arising from demographic changes, including illegal immigration
Study possible causes, such as cross-border activities, economic opportunities, and other socio-environmental factors
Identify underlying factors like illegal immigration, abnormal settlement patterns and orchestrated migration
Analyse structural population changes at the level of religious or social communities, particularly where they deviate from broader trends
Recommend a streamlined and permanent operational mechanism for the legal, fair, and time-bound identification, detention, and deportation of illegal immigrants residing in the country
Recommend appropriate institutional mechanism to strengthen border management, population stabilisation, and identification systems for the continuous monitoring of such trends