Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, 13 June chaired a meeting of senior officials to ensure full logistical and administrative support for the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar. The Union Home Ministry will serve as the nodal support body for the five-member panel.

Committee Mandate and Scope

The committee has been tasked with studying demographic shifts across the country, with a particular focus on border districts, metropolitan areas, industrial towns, and tribal regions. Justice Naolekar clarified that the panel will examine the population demography of the entire country and not limit its inquiry to any particular zone.

The committee is also mandated to assess illegal migration and will recommend systems for identifying, detaining, and deporting illegal infiltrators. “We will suggest a proper system for identifying illegal immigration, custody and deportation of the illegal infiltrators. We will look at how and what laws to make for the deportation of such infiltrators,” Justice Naolekar said.

Origin and Constitution of the Panel

The committee's formation traces back to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement from the Red Fort on 15 August 2025. It was formally constituted on 26 May 2026. Its first meeting has already been held and an agenda has been drawn up, according to an official statement.

At the time of constitution, Shah said, “Infiltration and other reasons causing unnatural demographic change pose a very significant challenge to the present and future of any nation.” He also posted on social media: “To address this very challenge, on August 15, 2025, Prime Minister @narendramodiji had announced the ‘High-Level Committee on Demographic Change’. I am delighted to inform you that the government has now constituted this committee.”

Role and Limits of the Committee

Justice Naolekar was explicit about the panel's advisory nature. “The committee will decide on the recommendations. The committee's report will go to the government. How much of the committee's report the government implements will depend on them,” he said. He added that Parliament would need to pass any resulting legislation: “The government will make the law after it is passed by the Parliament.”

The committee has broad powers to requisition data — it can seek information from any ministry, state government, or agency. It is required to submit its final report within one year, with a possible extension of six months if the report cannot be completed within the first six months.

What Comes Next

With logistical arrangements now being reviewed at the Home Minister level, the committee is expected to move quickly into its field assessment phase, including visits to border districts and urban centres. Its findings and eventual recommendations could shape future legislation on migration, border management, and demographic policy — making the next several months a critical window for public and parliamentary scrutiny.