Panel reaches Jammu to study demographic changes near border

On Monday, August 10, 2026, a delegation of four members from the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC) arrived in Jammu to conduct an initial field study on demographic changes in border regions, as directed by the Union Home Ministry. The committee, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, is scheduled to engage with civil society organizations and local communities in the coming days.

The panel will meet with representatives from various groups, such as Brahmin Sabha, Team Jammu, Pannun Kashmir, Jammu State Morcha, Transporters Association, and Private Schools Association.

The visiting committee is expected to conduct interviews and gather information from a detention center located in Hiranagar, where approximately 450 Rohingyas are currently detained. According to an estimate made by the Ministry in 2017, around 13,000 Rohingyas have settled in Jammu. These ethnic minority members primarily originate from Myanmar's Rakhine province, which is predominantly Muslim, and are classified as either "resident foreigners" or "associate citizens" due to the country's refusal to grant them full citizenship. They primarily fled Myanmar in two major waves – one in 2012 and another in 2017.

The committee's members consist of a diverse group of experts, including Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, former IAS officer Durga Shanker Mishra, former IPS officer Balaji Srivastava, and Shamika Ravi, who is associated with the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council. The Joint Secretary (Foreigners-I) at the Home Ministry serves as the Member Secretary of the panel.

The committee's mandate is to submit its report within one year, during which time they will also recommend the establishment of a well-organized and permanent system for identifying, detaining, and deporting illegal immigrants residing within the country.