Centre constitutes high-level committee to examine ‘unnatural demographic change’, illegal infiltration

unnatural demographic change
Representative Image (Source: Swarajya)

In a move the Union government says is aimed at addressing long-term national concerns, the Centre on Tuesday formally constituted a High-Level Committee on Demographic Change to study the impact of illegal infiltration and other factors believed to be contributing to what it described as “unnatural demographic change” across India.

The committee, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had first announced during his Independence Day address on August 15, 2025, has now been officially set up with retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar as its chairperson. The panel has been tasked with carrying out a comprehensive assessment of changing demographic patterns and recommending structured, time-bound policy measures.

The committee brings together administrative, security and economic expertise. Its members include Census Commissioner, former IAS officer Durga Shankar Mishra, former IPS officer Balaji Srivastava and economist Shamika Ravi. The Joint Secretary (Foreigners-I) in the Ministry of Home Affairs will serve as the Member Secretary.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah described demographic shifts as an issue extending beyond population numbers, arguing that it carries implications for sovereignty and internal stability.

In a statement shared on X, Shah said demographic change had emerged as a serious challenge linked to national security, law and order, social structure and the protection of tribal communities.

According to Shah, the committee will investigate demographic changes resulting from illegal immigration and other factors considered abnormal by the government. It will also examine population trends across religious and social communities to identify unusual shifts and propose corrective mechanisms.

“This committee will conduct a comprehensive assessment of demographic changes occurring across India due to illegal immigration and other unnatural causes, analyze patterns of abnormal population shifts at the levels of religious and social communities, and present a planned and time-bound solution,” Shah said.

The committee’s constitution comes amid an intensified push by the Centre on the issue of illegal infiltration. Just days earlier, Shah had reiterated that the government was committed not only to stopping illegal entry into the country but also to identifying and deporting infiltrators.

Speaking at the Rustamji Memorial Lecture last week, the Home Minister asserted that the Narendra Modi-led government would not permit what he termed “unnatural demographic change” through infiltration. He called on the Border Security Force (BSF) to strengthen coordination with state authorities, police forces and district administrations to track infiltration routes and dismantle associated networks, including smuggling operations.

Shah also pointed to states such as Tripura, Assam and West Bengal, stating that efforts were underway to address illegal infiltration. He stressed that longstanding infiltration corridors and smuggling channels should be systematically identified and shut down.

The committee’s findings are expected to shape future policy discussions on immigration, border management and demographic trends, subjects that have increasingly moved to the centre of India’s political and national security discourse.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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