Amid growing concern over rising infiltration and “unnatural changes" in border areas, the Centre on Tuesday announced the setting up of a high-level committee on demographic change, which will be led by Justice (Retd) Prakash Prabhakar Nawalkar.
Home Minister Amit Shah announced this in a post on X, elaborating that the Centre has taken the decision to form the panel after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, on August 15 last year, announced that such a committee would be formed.
The committee will comprise the Census Commissioner and retired IAS officer Durga Shankar Mishra, retired IPS officer Balaji Srivastava and economist Shamika Ravi.
The Joint Secretary (Foreigners-I) of the Ministry of Home Affairs will serve as the member secretary.
Shah further informed that “Demographic change is a critical issue tied to our sovereignty, national security, law and order, severe shifts in social structure, and the protection of tribal societies. This committee will conduct a comprehensive assessment of demographic changes occurring across India due to illegal migration and other abnormal causes. It will analyse the patterns of abnormal population shift at the level of religious and social communities, and present well-planned, time-bound solutions."
Last week, while delivering the KF Rustamji Memorial lecture during BSF’s investiture ceremony, Shah indicated that the Centre is going to soon announce a “High-Powered Demography Mission”, a strategic national initiative to curb illegal immigration into the bordering states from neighbouring countries, especially Bangladesh and Myanmar, and address artificial demographic changes across the country.
