Demography panel to study population changes post 2011 Census, prepares detailed questionnaire for States

Summary

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Published - July 01, 2026 09:27 pm IST - New Delhi Representative image. | Photo Credit: The Hindu The High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC) led by a retired Supreme Court judge, is all set to send questionnaires to Chief Secretaries of all States seeking details of population changes and increase in settlements since the last Census was conducted in 2011, a government source told The Hindu . “We will compare the 2011 Census data with the present scenario to understand the scale of change and will also visit those areas. The questions pertain to changes post 2011 Census,” said the source. The panel will also ask the Election Commission of India (ECI) to furnish the names of those excluded from voter rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and also the reasons behind the exclusions. On May 26, the Ministry constituted the committee to study the demographic changes arising from illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons, and to suggest measures to deal with these demographic changes. The Ministry’s notification said that the panel will also recommend “a well-organised and permanent operational system for the legal, fair and time-bound identification, detention, and deportation of illegal immigrants already residing in the country”. The Ministry had said that the existing institutional framework has not been adequately equipped to undertake coordinated, evidence-based, and time-bound evaluation and response to such demographic shifts, adding that extensive challenges have arisen from demographic changes, including due to illegal immigration. The panel is headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navlekar (retd).