Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday chaired a meeting of senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to review arrangements for the effective functioning of the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC), constituted to study demographic shifts across the country.
According to the Ministry, the committee has already held its first meeting and finalised its agenda. To assess demographic changes on the ground, the panel will undertake visits to metropolitan cities, industrial towns and other regions, including border areas.
The MHA said it will provide all necessary logistical and administrative support to ensure the smooth functioning of the committee.
The High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes was formally constituted on May 26, 2026, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement from the Red Fort on Independence Day in 2025. The committee is headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar.
The panel has been tasked with examining demographic changes across the country, particularly in border regions, and studying the challenges arising from such shifts.
Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a resolution stating that demographic changes in several parts of the country have created extensive challenges, including those linked to illegal immigration. The committee has been mandated to investigate these issues and recommend policy measures.
As part of its terms of reference, the committee will examine factors contributing to demographic changes, including variations in fertility rates, cross-border movement, economic opportunities and socio-environmental conditions. It will also study structural changes in population patterns across religious and social communities, especially where trends differ significantly from broader demographic patterns.
The committee will identify factors such as abnormal settlement patterns and organised migration and assess their impact on local demographics.
One of its major responsibilities will be to recommend a permanent, legally sound and time-bound mechanism for the identification, detention and deportation of illegal immigrants residing in the country. It will also suggest measures to strengthen border management, improve identification systems and support population stabilisation efforts.
In addition, the panel is expected to propose a comprehensive policy framework aimed at improving coordination between the Centre and state governments on demographic and migration-related issues.
The committee has been empowered to seek information, records and documents from ministries, departments, state governments, public authorities and other stakeholders. It may also consult security agencies, local governments, academic institutions, social organisations and subject experts during the course of its study.
Headquartered in New Delhi, the committee has been asked to submit its final report within one year. The MHA said all necessary administrative support will be provided to facilitate its work.
-ANI
