What is the Demography Mission?UPSC Daily Current Affairs/16 August 2025

Why in News? On Independence Day 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of a high-powered Demography Mission to tackle the challenge of illegal infiltration, particularly by Bangladeshis and Rohingya. He stressed that infiltrators were “snatching the rights of tribals, land, and livelihoods of Indian youth,” and warned that unchecked demographic changes in border areas pose a threat to national security, unity, and integrity.

What is the Demography Mission?

• A new national-level mission proposed by the Indian government to study, monitor, and control illegal demographic changes caused by infiltration.

• It will involve data collection, demographic mapping, and policy measures in vulnerable regions, especially border states.

• The mission will be time-bound and will adopt a “planned and determined approach” against infiltrators.

Objectives of the Demography Mission

1. Protect Tribal Rights – Prevent illegal migrants from taking over tribal land and resources.

2. Safeguard Livelihoods – Ensure local youth are not displaced from jobs by undocumented workers.

3. National Security – Address demographic changes in sensitive border areas that could pose long-term security risks.

4. Social Stability – Reduce tensions between locals and illegal migrants.

5. Comprehensive Demographic Study – Collect accurate data on migration and infiltration patterns to inform policy decisions.

Similar Missions/Measures in Other Nations

United States

• Homeland Security & Border Patrol Programs: Large-scale monitoring and enforcement at the US-Mexico border.

• Secure Fence Act (2006) and modern border wall and surveillance initiatives aimed to stop illegal immigration.

European Union

• Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency): Manages migration flows, strengthens border security, and checks illegal entry.

• Some countries (e.g., Hungary, Poland) have built border fences to curb infiltration.

China

• Implements strict hukou (household registration) and surveillance systems to control internal migration and prevent demographic shifts in sensitive regions like Xinjiang and Tibet.

Israel

• Uses border barriers and advanced surveillance along Gaza and West Bank to prevent illegal infiltration and settlement shifts that may affect demographics.