Discuss the constitutional and administrative challenges in addressing demographic change caused by illegal immigration in India. Examine the mandate of the High-Level Committee on Demographic Change in this context.

Q. Discuss the constitutional and administrative challenges in addressing demographic change caused by illegal immigration in India. Examine the mandate of the High-Level Committee on Demographic Change in this context. (15 marks, 250 words)

Demographic shifts along India's borders, framed by the government as a threat to sovereignty and social harmony, prompted PM Modi's "High-powered Demography Mission" (15 Aug 2025) and a High-Level Committee to study "abnormal" change from illegal infiltration [1]. Addressing it, however, tests both the Constitution and the administrative machinery.

Constitutional challenges - Federal friction: population, migration and public order straddle the Union and State lists, so any Centre-led assessment needs State cooperation (Article 256/257) yet risks resistance in non-aligned States [2]. - Rights safeguards: profiling by religious and social community invites Article 14/15 (equality, non-discrimination) and Article 21 (life, due process) scrutiny [1]. - No statutory basis: constituted by Cabinet approval (11 Sep 2025), not an Act; its recommendations need separate legislation—amendments to the Foreigners Act, 1946 or Citizenship Act—to bind [1].

Administrative challenges - Detection and deportation: identifying illegal immigrants demands reliable data, functioning Foreigners Tribunals and diplomatic uptake by source states [1]. - Data gaps: absence of a current Census/NPR baseline weakens credible measurement. - Inter-ministerial coordination and State field visits via a detailed questionnaire strain capacity [2].

Mandate of the Committee (examine) - Chaired by Justice P.P. Navlekar (Retd.), with the Census Commissioner ex-officio, it must scientifically assess change from illegal immigration, analyse community-level patterns, and recommend policy, legislative and administrative remedies, including a permanent identification-deportation mechanism [1]. - Reports within one year, extendable by six months [1].

If the Committee anchors its recommendations in due-process safeguards and cooperative federalism, it can reconcile national security with constitutional guarantees, converting a contested exercise into credible migration governance.

(~250 words)

Sources: 1. Government of India constitutes the 'High-Level Committee on Demographic Change' — PIB — chairman, composition, mandate, tenure, mission announcement, and community-level analysis 2. High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes calls on Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah — PIB — State/UT visits, questionnaire, and inter-ministerial coordination