A high-level committee set up by the Centre to study demographic changes across the country met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday and briefed him on its plan to begin field visits to states and Union Territories in the coming weeks. According to an official statement, the committee, chaired by retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navlekar, informed the home minister that it would soon start visiting different states and UTs to gather first-hand information on demographic changes at the ground level. The committee members said they have prepared a detailed questionnaire that will be sent to states and Union Territories in advance. The exercise is aimed at collecting relevant information before the visits so that discussions with local authorities and stakeholders can be more focused, meaningful and interactive.
Appreciating the committee’s approach, Amit Shah directed Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to extend all possible support to the panel in its day-to-day work as well as during its visits across the country. He also advised the committee to submit its recommendations at the earliest. The committee was constituted by the Centre following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of the “High-powered Demography Mission” during his Independence Day address on August 15, 2025. The mission aims to study demographic changes arising from illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons and recommend suitable measures to address the issue. Besides Justice Navlekar, the committee includes Census Commissioner Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan and three distinguished members — Durga Shankar Mishra, Balaji Srivastava and Shamika Ravi.
According to the government, the committee has been tasked with carrying out a scientific assessment of demographic changes occurring in different parts of the country due to illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons. It will analyse the factors behind these changes and recommend policy, legislative and administrative measures to address the challenges identified through its study.
