The Union government has moved to institutionalise a nationwide review of ‘unnatural demographic shifts’ linked to illegal immigration and other causes, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday announcing the formation of a high-level committee tasked with studying population changes that the Centre says could impact national security, sovereignty, and social stability.
The announcement comes months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Independence Day address from the Red Fort on August 15, 2025, proposed the creation of a dedicated mechanism to examine demographic transformations taking place across the country. The proposal came amid growing political debate surrounding illegal immigration, border infiltration, and changing demographic patterns in several parts of the country.
घुसपैठ और अन्य कारणों से Unnatural Demographic Change किसी भी राष्ट्र के वर्तमान व भविष्य के लिए एक बहुत बड़ी चुनौती है।
इसी चुनौती से निपटने के लिए 15 अगस्त 2025 को प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi जी ने ‘High-Level Committee on Demographic Change’ की घोषणा की थी। मुझे बताते हुए हर्ष…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 26, 2026
Panel to be led by retired judge
In a statement issued through X, Amit Shah said infiltration and other factors contributing to “unnatural demographic change” pose a serious challenge to both the present and future of the nation.
He announced that the committee would be headed by Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar (Retd). The panel will also include the Census Commissioner, Durga Shankar Mishra (Retd IAS), Balaji Srivastava (Retd IPS) and Dr Shamika Ravi as members. The Joint Secretary (Foreigners-I) in the Ministry of Home Affairs will function as the Member Secretary of the committee.
Focus on security and social impact
The Union Home Minister called demographic imbalance an issue extending far beyond population figures, linking it directly to national security concerns, maintenance of law and order, social transformation, and the protection of tribal communities.
He said the panel would conduct an extensive review of demographic changes taking place at both religious and social community levels and analyse patterns that indicate unusual population shifts in different regions of the country.
The committee has also been tasked with preparing recommendations aimed at addressing such trends through a planned framework within a defined timeline.
With the formal constitution of the panel now complete, the government appears set to intensify its focus on demographic trends as part of a broader national security and governance agenda.