Citizens asked to detail demographic changes in their areas through MHA portal

The demography panel established by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has introduced an online portal to gather public input on "frequent demographic changes across the country," focusing on the period after 2011. The portal emphasizes that these shifts, predominantly observed in border regions, have far-reaching effects on urban areas, industrial zones, tribal locations, and other socially and economically significant regions.

It highlights that these changes are not simply due to normal population growth trends but are instead primarily caused by external factors like illegal immigration, irregular population movement, and administrative shortcomings.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is seeking detailed information from various stakeholders, including government agencies, citizens, NGOs, international organizations, and academic institutions, via the portal. The respondents are required to provide their mobile number, address, and email, along with consent for the processing and analysis of their personal data.

The portal, accessible at https://demography.mha.gov.in, categorizes respondents into three groups: government bodies, civil society organizations, and individual citizens.

In the section for individual citizens and public representatives, respondents are asked to detail the notable demographic changes observed in their local areas over the past fifteen years. The questions also delve into the primary causes of these changes and their impact on various sectors such as employment, education, healthcare, housing, infrastructure, public services, the environment, social harmony, and local economies.

Furthermore, participants are invited to identify challenges stemming from demographic trends, recognize successful governmental or organizational initiatives, and offer research materials or reports that could inform the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC).

The HLCDC, chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, was established on May 26 to investigate the reasons behind and consequences of the observed demographic shifts. The committee has requested detailed data from state governments, including statistics on births, school enrollment, ration cards, vehicle registrations, property transactions, and voter registrations, segregated by religion, district, and other relevant parameters.

Additionally, the panel is seeking information on irregularities such as an uptick in Aadhaar card enrollments, voter IDs, and ration cards, as well as evidence of fraudulent identity documents. The responses to the portal must be in English, formatted as complete sentences, and free of personal attacks, adhering to the platform's community guidelines.