Shah takes stock of demography change panel’s functioning

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reviewed the work of a newly formed committee tasked with studying demographic changes in India. During a meeting with senior ministry officials, Shah emphasized the need for comprehensive support for the committee's operations.

Shah directed the Home Ministry to provide all necessary logistical and administrative assistance. This includes facilitating visits for committee members to border districts, metropolitan areas, and industrial towns across the country. The committee was established last month to examine demographic shifts resulting from illegal immigration and other "abnormal factors."

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A meeting of senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), including home secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Deka and others, was chaired by Shah on Saturday to discuss the logistical and other necessary support the committee will need. The home minister has directed the ministry to ensure that all required assistance is given to the panel members, including visits to the border areas, access to necessary documents and coordinating with the state governments.

The high-level committee is chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Prabhakar Naolekar. Its members include census commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, former IAS officer Durga Shankar Mishra, retired IPS officer Balaji Srivastava, and economist Shamika Ravi. The committee has already held its initial meeting and formulated its agenda, with a mandate to submit its report within one year.

Announcing the committee's formation, Shah had previously stated that demographic change is a critical issue impacting national sovereignty, security, social stability, and the preservation of tribal society. The committee's work aims to scientifically assess these changes, analyze patterns of population shifts, and recommend policy, legislative, and administrative measures to address the issue. It will also propose a framework for enhanced coordination between the central and state governments on matters related to illegal immigration and demographic imbalances.

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This committee will conduct a comprehensive assessment of demographic changes occurring across India due to illegal immigration and other unnatural causes, analyse patterns of abnormal population shifts at the levels of religious and social communities, and present a well-planned and time-bound solution to address the issue.