High-Level Committee Seeks Extensive Religion-Wise Demographic Data

The Ministry of Home Affairs-constituted High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC), chaired by Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, has issued a 35-point questionnaire to State governments. The committee, tasked with studying demographic shifts from illegal immigration and ‘abnormal’ reasons, is seeking religion-wise data on voter registrations, school enrolment, vehicle ownership, and property transactions covering the last 15 years. State officials have expressed concern, noting that administrative databases do not currently classify citizens by religion across these categories. The committee, which is also evaluating institutional mechanisms for population stabilisation, has one year to submit its findings, with a possible six-month extension.

Editor's note: The article provides a concise and accurate summary of the committee's mandate, the questionnaire details, and the challenges faced by states.

This article is AI-generated and fact-gated. Original reporting: The Hindu