The High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC) is an institutional body constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in May 2026. Its creation followed the announcement of a "High-powered Demography Mission" by the Prime Minister on August 15, 2025, to address challenges arising from demographic shifts. The core problem the committee is tasked to solve is the study of demographic changes arising from illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons and to recommend appropriate policy measures.
The Committee, chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, functions by conducting a scientific assessment of population distribution, settlement patterns, and demographic composition since the 2011 Census. Its mechanism involves sending State-Level Questionnaires to Chief Secretaries and undertaking Field Verification in states like West Bengal and Assam. A key provision is to recommend a permanent, institutional mechanism for the legally sound identification, detention, and deportation of undocumented immigrants. The Committee is mandated to submit its final report within one year (by May 2027).
The HLCDC connects directly to the constitutional duty of the Union under Article 355 to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance, which the government links to illegal immigration. It also relates to the integrity of electoral rolls under Article 326 and the upcoming Census 2027, which will provide updated demographic data. As a newly formed body in 2026, it has not replaced a previous committee but is a direct policy response to the concerns raised in the 2025 Independence Day Address.