Govt Sets Up Expert Committee to Examine Population Shifts And Illegal Immigration

The Centre has constituted a high-level committee to examine demographic changes in the country linked to illegal immigration and what it termed “other unnatural causes”, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Tuesday.

The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement during his Independence Day speech in 2025 regarding the formation of such a panel.

According to Shah, the committee will be chaired by retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar and include Census Commissioner officials, former IAS officer Durga Shankar Mishra, retired IPS officer Balaji Srivastava, and economist Dr. Shamika Ravi as members. The Joint Secretary (Foreigners-I) in the Ministry of Home Affairs will serve as Member Secretary.

In a post on X, Shah said demographic change caused by infiltration and other factors poses a major challenge to the nation’s future. He added that the committee would conduct a detailed assessment of abnormal population shifts across religious and social communities and recommend planned, time-bound solutions.

The government said the issue is linked to national security, sovereignty, law and order, social structure, and the protection of tribal societies.