On August 15, 2025, while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on India's 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned of a conspiracy to change India's demography through illegal infiltration and promised to set up a high-level mission to address the crisis. He said the country's forefathers made the supreme sacrifice to win freedom for Indians and it is the duty of the citizens to fight against such activities. Now, the Centre has announced the formation of this high-level panel to examine "unnatural demographic changes" in the country.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said such demographic changes caused by illegal immigration is a major challenge to India's sovereignty, national security, social balance and the preservation of tribal societies.
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"I am delighted to inform you that the government has now constituted this committee," the Home Minister posted on X.
The high-level committee will be chaired by retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar. Other members of the panel include Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, retired IAS officer Durga Shankar Mishra, retired IPS officer Balaji Srivastava and economist Dr Shamika Ravi.
The minister revealed that Joint Secretary (Foreigners-I), Ministry of Home Affairs, will serve as the Member Secretary of the panel.
The committee will comprehensively assess demographic changes occurring across the country "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 planned and time-bound solution for the same," he added.
In his Independence Day speech, PM Modi said the infiltrators are snatching the livelihood of the youth of the country and "targeting our sisters and daughters". "They are misleading the adivasis and grabbing their lands. This will not be tolerated," the premier said.
