Why in news?
The "High-Power Demography Mission" was announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2025, during the 79th Independence Day address.
 
Key points about the High-Power Demography Mission:

• The mission is launched to tackle what PM Modi described as a "well-thought-out conspiracy" to alter India's demographic composition through illegal immigration.
• It targets the infiltration that is said to snatch livelihoods from the youth, target women and daughters of India, mislead indigenous tribal people, and capture their land.
• The demographic changes in border regions are seen as a threat to national security and social unity.
• The mission will involve analyzing and acting upon demographic shifts, especially related to illegal immigration in border areas.

Planned measures for identity verification and illegal immigration control:

• Strict identity verification measures: Enhanced checks will be implemented, particularly in border regions and areas with high reported illegal entry. This may involve expanding biometric data collection, use of digital identity systems, and rigorous validation of identity documents to ensure authenticity and uniqueness.
• Border surveillance and fencing: Strengthened physical border controls, including upgrading border fencing and surveillance systems, are planned to prevent unauthorized entry and monitor demographic changes in vulnerable districts.
• Mapping demographic changes: Authorities will use census data, border security intelligence, and local administrative records to identify shifts in population and suspicious changes in land ownership, especially in tribal and border regions.
• Land protection drives: Special efforts to safeguard local and indigenous community land against fraudulent occupation by outsiders, with legal and administrative reforms recommended to strengthen land rights.
• Coordinated action: Central agencies, state governments, and local bodies will collaborate to identify, verify, and act against individuals unlawfully occupying land or resources, and to deport illegal immigrants where possible.
• Ongoing crackdowns: As part of current enforcement, authorities have stepped up deportation efforts, especially targeting Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants, alongside intensified identity and documentation checks in multiple states since May 2025.
• Community protection focus: Measures will aim to protect tribal and backward communities from being misled or displaced due to illegal immigration and will seek to preserve land, livelihood, and cultural integrity.

Legal reforms needed to support immigration control
India is enacting significant legal reforms through the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025. The main legal changes proposed or introduced include:

• Consolidation and modernization of laws: The new bill replaces four older statutes (Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920; Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939; Foreigners Act, 1946; Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000), providing a unified and clearer framework for immigration and foreigner management.
• Stricter enforcement against illegal immigration and overstaying: The law enhances tracking, registration, and deportation procedures for foreigners who overstay visas or enter without authorization.
• Digital transformation: Immigration processes including visa issuance, entry/exit monitoring, and enforcement actions will be digitized. This facilitates better data management and rapid identity verification.
• Enhanced border and land sale restrictions: Certain states, like Assam, have already introduced laws requiring approval for land transactions in sensitive border districts, aimed at safeguarding against land capture by illegal immigrants.
• Legal clarity for detention, surveillance, and deportation: The new law provides clear guidelines for surveillance, detention, and removal of foreign nationals found to be residing illegally.
• Data coordination and record keeping: There will be improved systems for tracking and managing records of foreigners, aligned with international best practices.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy focused on securing India's demographic balance and national security in the face of infiltration and demographic challenges highlighted in recent political discourse and security concerns.

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