MHA Panel To Begin Border State Visits To Study Post-2011 Demographic Changes

The Ministry of Home Affairs' High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes is set to begin field visits to border states after receiving responses to detailed questionnaires sent to states and Union Territories. The panel will examine demographic changes since the 2011 Census, with a focus on illegal immigration and other factors, before submitting policy recommendations to the Centre.

Committee to begin field visits after receiving state responses

The six-member High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC), constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), will soon begin visits to border districts, border regions, metro cities and industrial towns across states including West Bengal, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Headed by retired Supreme Court judge Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, the committee will launch its visits after collecting information through a detailed questionnaire sent to states and Union Territories.

Officials said the panel will begin its tour after receiving "relevant information based on a set of questionnaires prepared by it for states and UTs."

According to officials, responses from chief secretaries, Directors General of Police and other departments will help the committee conduct more meaningful and interactive consultations during its field visits.

The panel also includes Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, retired IAS officer Durga Shanker Mishra, former IPS officer and Director-General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) Balaji Srivastava, Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council member Shamika Ravi, and MHA Joint Secretary (Foreigners-I) Sandeep Namdeo Mahatme, who serves as Member Secretary.

Committee to assess causes and impact of demographic shifts

The committee's assessment will examine demographic changes across the country after the 2011 Census, particularly those attributed to illegal immigration and other abnormal factors. It has been tasked with studying the nature, causes and consequences of these changes and recommending suitable policy, legislative and administrative measures.

The committee was constituted on May 26, 2026, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement from the Red Fort on August 15, 2025, calling for a comprehensive study of demographic changes arising from illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently met the committee and urged it to submit its recommendations at the earliest after members briefed him about their planned visits to states and Union Territories and interactions with central ministries.

During the meeting, the committee informed the Home Minister that a "detailed questionnaire" had been prepared to collect information in advance and facilitate more effective field visits.

Shah also directed Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to extend all necessary administrative support to the panel during its functioning and state visits.

Resolution highlights concerns over illegal immigration, abnormal settlement patterns

The MHA resolution constituting the committee states that "extensive challenges have emerged due to demographic changes, including those linked to illegal immigration."

According to the resolution, demographic changes observed in some regions are not the result of normal fertility or mortality trends but stem from external factors such as illegal immigration, irregular population movement and administrative lapses.

The resolution further notes that "These shifts have significantly affected public service delivery, local governance, resource distribution, and social cohesion," while adding that the current institutional framework is not adequately equipped to provide a coordinated and evidence-based response.

Under its terms of reference, the committee will study demographic changes at the level of religious and social communities, examine abnormal settlement patterns, planned migration, cross-border movement, fertility variations and socio-environmental factors.

It will also recommend a permanent framework for the legal, fair and time-bound identification, detention and deportation of illegal immigrants, along with measures to strengthen border management, population monitoring systems and coordination between the Centre and states.

The committee has been empowered to seek information and records from ministries, state governments, public authorities and individuals, constitute sub-groups with MHA approval, and consult experts, security agencies, academic institutions and social organisations. Headquartered in New Delhi, it is required to submit its final report within one year.

(With inputs from ANI)