Centre Forms High-Level Panel to Study ‘Unnatural Demographic Change’ Linked to Illegal Immigration

Union Home Minister Amit Shah formally announced the establishment of the High Level Committee on Demographic Change on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. The development was reported today by multiple national media outlets and government-linked sources.

The Union Government has constituted a high-level committee to study demographic changes across India caused by illegal migration and what it describes as “unnatural” factors, and the Center has termed the issue as a serious problem for national security and social stability.

Announcing the decision on Tuesday, Home Minister Amit Shah said the committee will conduct a comprehensive assessment of abnormal population changes in different parts of the country and recommend policy, administrative and legal measures to address them.

The move comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day 2025 speech; here he spoke of concerns about demographic imbalance and promised a “High Power Demography Mission.”

In a statement posted on social media, Shah said illegal infiltration and demographic changes pose risks not only to sovereignty but also to law and order, social structure and protection of tribal communities.

The newly constituted committee will be headed by retired Supreme Court judge Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar. Members of the panel include former Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, former Police Research and Development Bureau chief Balaji Srivastava, economist Dr. Shamika Ravi and Census Commissioner of India.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the mandate of the committee is to scientifically examine demographic changes at the level of religious and social communities, identify the reasons behind abnormal settlement patterns, and recommend mechanisms to detect and deport undocumented immigrants through a time-bound legal framework.

The panel will also recommend reforms to strengthen border management and improve coordination between the Central and State governments on population and security-related issues. The committee was given one year to submit its report, which could be extended by another six months if necessary.