MHA launches portal to gather nationwide data on demographic shifts

UPDATE - follow-up to Citizens asked to detail demographic changes in their areas through MHA portal: The Ministry of Home Affairs' High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC) has opened an online portal for government bodies, NGOs, international organisations and ordinary citizens to submit observations on recent demographic shifts, especially after 2011. The portal, https://demography.mha.gov.in, asks respondents for contact details and consent to process personal data. It targets inputs on changes seen in border districts, urban centres, industrial corridors, tribal areas and other sensitive zones, where shifts are said to strain public services, governance and social cohesion. The committee says the trends are not due to normal fertility or mortality but stem from illegal immigration, irregular population mobility and administrative laxity. Collected data will help the panel analyse causes and propose a permanent system for the legal, fair and time‑bound identification, detention and deportation of illegal immigrants. The HLCDC, chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar and constituted on May 26, has divided respondents into three groups: central ministries and agencies; state and union‑territory administrations; and civil‑society actors and individual citizens. The questionnaire for individuals includes eight questions, one of which asks for a description of major demographic changes observed over the past 15 years in familiar areas such as villages, towns or districts. On September 28, The Hindu reported that the committee sent states a 35‑point questionnaire seeking district‑wise and religion‑wise data on birth registrations, school enrolments, ration cards, vehicle and property transactions, voter rolls and unusual spikes in Aadhaar enrolments.

Context

These efforts build on the earlier call for citizens to detail local demographic changes, aiming to create a comprehensive picture that can guide policy and resource allocation.