The Government of India has constituted a High-Level Committee to study the demographic changes arising from illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons, and to suggest measures to deal with these demographic changes. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had announced the “High-powered Demography Mission” on 15 August 2025. The Union Cabinet gave its approval to this proposal on 11 September 2025.

Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navlekar (Retired) will be the Chairman of the Committee. In addition to the Census Commissioner, three distinguished experts — Shri Durga Shankar Mishra (Retired IAS), Shri Balaji Srivastava (Retired IPS), and Dr. Shamika Ravi — will be members of the Committee. The Joint Secretary (Foreigners-I), Ministry of Home Affairs, will be the Member Secretary of the Committee. This Committee will submit its report within one year. If necessary, the Ministry of Home Affairs may extend the tenure of the Committee by up to six months.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said in a post on the X platform: “Illegal infiltration and other reasons leading to Unnatural Demographic Change is a very big challenge for the present and future of any nation. To deal with this challenge, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had announced the ‘High-Level Committee on Demographic Change’ on 15 August 2025. I am delighted to inform that the government has constituted this Committee. This Committee, formed under the chairmanship of Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navlekar (Retired), will have the Census Commissioner along with Shri Durga Shankar Mishra (Retd. IAS), Shri Balaji Srivastava (Retd. IPS), and Dr. Shamika Ravi as its members. The Joint Secretary (Foreigners-I), Ministry of Home Affairs, will be the Member Secretary of this Committee. Demographic Change is a serious problem linked not only to our sovereignty but also to national security, law and order, major changes in social structure, and the protection of tribal societies. This Committee will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the demographic changes occurring across India due to illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons. It will analyse the patterns of abnormal population changes at the level of religious and social communities and will present a well-planned and time-bound solution to address the issue.”

This High-Level Committee will scientifically assess the demographic changes occurring in various parts of the country due to illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons, analyse their causes, and recommend appropriate policy, legislative, and administrative measures. The proposed structure and Terms of Reference of the Committee are as follows:

1. To comprehensively deliberate upon the challenges arising from demographic changes, including illegal immigration.
2. To study the possible causes of such demographic changes, such as cross-border activities (including illegal immigration), economic opportunities, and other socio-environmental factors.
3. To identify the underlying factors behind these changes, which include illegal immigration, abnormal settlement patterns, and orchestrated migration
4. To analyse structural population changes at the level of religious or social communities, particularly where they deviate from broader trends.
5. To recommend a streamlined and permanent operational mechanism for the legal, fair, and time-bound identification, detention, and deportation of illegal immigrants already residing in the country.
6. To recommend an appropriate institutional mechanism to strengthen border management, population stabilization, and identification systems for the continuous monitoring of such trends.
7. To propose a comprehensive policy framework to enhance coordination between the Central and State Governments on matters related to illegal immigration and the resulting demographic imbalances.
8.  The Committee may recommend any other measures it deems appropriate to address the challenges arising from demographic changes, including illegal immigration.

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RK/PR/PS