The Government of India has constituted a High-Level Committee under the Chairmanship of Justice (Retd) Prakash Prabhakar Navlekar to study the demographic changes arising from “illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons” and to suggest measures to deal with these demographic changes.

In addition to the Census Commissioner, three distinguished experts —Durga Shankar Mishra (Retired IAS), Balaji Srivastava (Retired IPS), and Dr Shamika Ravi — would be members of the Committee. The Joint Secretary (Foreigners-I), Ministry of Home Affairs, would be the Member Secretary of the Committee. This Committee would 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, Amit Shah said that “illegal infiltration and other reasons” leading to unnatural demographic change is a very big challenge for the present and future of any nation.

In a post on X, Shah wrote, “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.”

He said ‘demographic change’ is a serious problem linked not only to sovereignty but also to national security, law and order, major changes in social structure, and the protection of tribal societies.

Shah informed that the Committee would conduct a comprehensive assessment of the demographic changes occurring across India due to illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons. It would 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.

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This High-Level Committee would 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 Committee would comprehensively deliberate upon the challenges arising from demographic changes, including illegal immigration. It would study the possible causes of such demographic changes, such as cross-border activities (including illegal immigration), economic opportunities, and other socio-environmental factors.

The Committee would also identify the underlying factors behind these changes, which include illegal immigration, abnormal settlement patterns, and orchestrated migration. It would analyse structural population changes at the level of religious or social communities, particularly where they deviate from broader trends.

The Committee would further 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.

It would also recommend an appropriate institutional mechanism to strengthen border management, population stabilization, and identification systems for the continuous monitoring of such trends.

The Committee would 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. It may recommend any other measures it deems appropriate to address the challenges arising from demographic changes, including illegal immigration.