Centre Plans High-Powered Demography Mission

The Union government has planned a High-Powered Demography Mission to address illegal immigration, infiltration, and demographic change in border areas. The mission was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Independence Day address in 2025, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on 22 May 2026 that the mission would be announced soon.

Demography Mission and Border Security

Demography is the statistical study of population structure, including size, distribution, and composition. In India, border management involves the Border Security Force, which guards the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh frontiers across nearly 6,000 km. The proposed mission is linked with identified infiltration points for BSF personnel. The stated objective is to detect illegal entry routes and to support action against undocumented migration in border districts.

Deportation Policy and State-Level Action

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs framed a comprehensive deportation policy that was in effect by April 2026. The policy requires states to create district-level special task forces for detection, identification, and deportation of illegal migrants, especially from Bangladesh and Myanmar. The policy also requires holding centres for undocumented migrants awaiting deportation. These centres are to have 10-feet-high barbed wire boundaries, and nationality verification for suspected Bangladeshi or Myanmarese nationals has a 90-day limit.

Smart Border Project and Surveillance Tools

The government plans to roll out a Smart Border project within one year. The project covers India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh and includes drone radars and high-resolution cameras for surveillance. Border surveillance in India also uses fencing, floodlights, thermal imaging devices, and patrol systems in several sensitive sectors. The India-Bangladesh border is one of the longest land borders in the world.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Border Security Force was raised in 1965 and functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The India-Bangladesh border is about 4,096 km long, and the India-Pakistan border is about 3,323 km long.
• Demography refers to the study of population structure, including age, sex, density, and migration.
• Illegal migration and infiltration are treated as border management and internal security issues in India.

External Relations and Repatriation

The Ministry of External Affairs stated on 7 May 2026 that repatriation of illegal Bangladeshi citizens is a core issue in India-Bangladesh relations. The ministry also sought cooperation for verification of at least 2,862 identified illegal immigrants.