Demography panel may study SIR exclusions, seeks details from govt., Pg12

Key Highlights:

• A High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes was constituted by the Union Home Ministry on May 26.
• Chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, the committee held its first meeting on Tuesday.
• Its primary mandate is to study demographic changes arising from illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons.
• The committee will recommend an appropriate institutional mechanism for population stabilisation and a system for the identification, detention, and deportation of illegal immigrants.
• It will also examine the exclusion of names from voter lists following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
• The SIR has led to the deletion of approximately 6.5 crore names (around 11%) from electoral rolls across 13 States and Union Territories.
• The Supreme Court upheld the SIR exercise in Bihar in May 2026, affirming the Election Commission's authority to verify citizenship for electoral roll purposes.

Detailed Insights:

• The committee's formation addresses concerns over unnatural demographic changes that impact national security, sovereignty, law and order, social structure, and tribal societies.
• The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a comprehensive exercise by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to update and verify electoral rolls, aiming for accuracy by removing deceased, shifted, duplicate, and non-citizen voters.
• The Supreme Court ruling directed the ECI to refer names purged from the 2003 Bihar electoral roll on grounds of non-citizenship to the Centre for adjudication under the Citizenship Act.
• The Naolekar Committee is tasked with a scientific assessment of demographic changes, including granular analysis of population fluctuations among religious and social communities.
• It will recommend a permanent operational system for the legal, fair, and time-bound identification, detention, and deportation of illegal immigrants already residing in the country.
• The committee is expected to submit its final report within one year, with a provision for a six-month extension if required.

Key Concepts Involved:

• High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes: A committee formed by the Union Home Ministry to study demographic shifts due to illegal immigration and recommend policy measures.
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A comprehensive exercise by the Election Commission of India to update and verify electoral rolls by removing ineligible voters and including eligible ones.
• Population Stabilisation: Measures and policies aimed at achieving a balance between birth and death rates to control population growth.
• Illegal Immigration: The entry of foreign nationals into a country without government permission or in violation of immigration laws.