States Stumped By Demography Panel’s Religion-Wise Queries, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• State governments are struggling to provide religion-wise demographic data requested by the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC).
• The HLCDC, formed under the Union Home Ministry in May 2026, seeks 15 years of religion-wise data on various parameters like birth and vehicle registrations, school enrolment, and property transactions.
• States cite the secular nature of the Indian Constitution and lack of existing mechanisms for collecting such religion-specific data, except for birth registrations and undocumented migrants.
• The committee also requested intelligence assessments on religious conversions among Scheduled Tribe communities and details of religious structures.
• This situation draws parallels to the 2006 Sachar Committee, which faced opposition for its focus on the Muslim community's socio-economic status.

Detailed Insights:

• The HLCDC was constituted following an announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2025, to study "unnatural demographic changes" caused by factors like illegal immigration.
• Chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, the committee's mandate includes analyzing abnormal population shifts and recommending policy measures.
• State officials highlighted that collecting religion-wise data on most categories is not routinely done, making it difficult to fulfill the HLCDC's extensive queries.
• The committee's questionnaire includes requests for district-wise data on religious structures, unusual school enrolment trends, and voter registration patterns without prior generational records.
• It also seeks information on changes in religious composition in sensitive areas like border districts, tribal areas, and Fifth/Sixth Schedule areas.
• The Sachar Committee, established in 2005, aimed to assess the socio-economic and educational status of Muslims, but its recommendations were criticized by the then opposition BJP for promoting religious quotas.

Key Concepts Involved:

• High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC): A committee formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to study demographic shifts, particularly those linked to illegal immigration, and recommend policy measures.
• Sachar Committee: A High-Level Committee formed in 2005 to examine the socio-economic and educational status of the Muslim community in India.
• Indian Secularism: A constitutional principle ensuring the state maintains a "principled distance" from all religions, guaranteeing equal respect and non-discrimination, rather than strict separation.
• Fifth Schedule Areas: Regions in 10 Indian states with a predominant tribal population, administered with special provisions under the Indian Constitution to protect tribal interests.
• Sixth Schedule Areas: Tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, governed by Autonomous District Councils with significant legislative and administrative autonomy.