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The high-level committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC), headed by retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, has launched a dedicated web portal to seek public input and data on demographic changes, illegal immigration and abnormal settlement patterns in the country.
The portal, available at https://demography.mha.gov.in, is fully operational and open for public access, stakeholder submissions and data interaction. The portal enables Central government ministries and departments, state and Union Territory (UT) governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), institutions and individuals to submit inputs, data and information on unnatural demographic changes, their causes and underlying factors. In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the inputs shared on the portal will help the committee analyse demographic changes and identify their underlying causes. The Ministry further said the committee will use its findings to recommend a well-organised and permanent operational system for the legal, fair and time-bound identification, detention and deportation of illegal immigrants residing in the country. The MHA had formally constituted the committee on May 26, 2026. According to its terms of reference, the committee will undertake an extensive examination of challenges arising from demographic changes, including those linked to illegal immigration. It will study possible causes such as variations in fertility, cross-border movement, economic opportunities and other socio-environmental factors. The committee will also examine underlying factors behind demographic changes, including illegal immigration, abnormal settlement patterns and planned migration. Another key aspect of its mandate is to analyse structural population changes among religious and social communities, particularly those that diverge from uniform trends. The committee will recommend an appropriate institutional mechanism to strengthen border management, population stabilisation and identification systems for sustained monitoring of demographic trends. It will also propose a comprehensive policy framework to improve coordination between the Central and State governments on issues relating to illegal immigration and resultant demographic imbalances. As per the MHA, the committee has been authorised to recommend any other measures it considers appropriate to address challenges arising from demographic changes, including those associated with illegal immigration. (ANI)
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