Episode: KPN 13-08-2026

India’s demographic change panel visits Rohingya settlement in Jammu

A high-level committee appointed by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has visited a Rohingya settlement in Jammu as part of its examination of demographic changes linked to immigration and other factors, according to officials.

The panel visited the Rohingya settlement in the Narwal area and the Jagti township, home to displaced Kashmiri Pandits, while also meeting representatives of several communities during its field visit.

The visit followed meetings with senior government and police officials, including Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat.

Panel Visits Rohingya Settlement in Narwal

An official said the committee visited a settlement inhabited by Rohingya in Narwal and met several delegations, including representatives of the Gurkha community and refugees from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, referred to by Indian authorities as Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

Director of Census Operations Amit Sharma confirmed that the delegation visited both Jagti and Narwal.

“The high-powered panel visited Jagti satellite township of Kashmiri Pandits where it met the community representatives. The panel also visited a Rohingya settlement in Narwal area,” Sharma said.

Officials said several delegations presented their views on demographic changes and shared their concerns and perspectives with committee members.

Committee Meets Kashmiri Pandit Representatives

The delegation also visited Jagti township at Nagrota, where it held discussions with representatives of the Kashmiri Pandit community.

The panel reportedly spent nearly an hour at the township before continuing its visit.

Officials said committee members later returned to their hotel, where additional delegations met them to discuss demographic issues.

MHA Panel Established to Study Demographic Changes

India’s central government constituted the high-level panel in May under the leadership of retired Justice Prabhakar Navlekar.

According to the government, its mandate is to examine demographic changes in different parts of India arising from what authorities describe as illegal immigration and other factors, and to recommend measures to address them.

Members participating in the Jammu visit included Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar, retired IAS officer Durga Shankar Mishra, retired IPS officer Balaji Srivastava and Shamika Ravi.

The committee is expected to submit its report within one year.

Government Database Cites More Than 13,700 Foreign Nationals

According to government data cited in the report, more than 13,700 foreign nationals, including Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals, have been recorded in Jammu and Samba districts.

The data indicates that the population classified by authorities as foreign nationals increased by more than 6,000 between 2008 and 2016.

The figures and classifications are based on government records cited in the original report.

Rohingya Have Faced Verification and Detention in Jammu

The presence of Rohingya in Jammu has been under increasing government scrutiny in recent years.

In March 2021, police identified more than 270 Rohingya, including women and children, during a verification operation in Jammu city.

Authorities said they were living in India without legal immigration status and transferred them to a holding centre established inside Hiranagar Sub-Jail.

The latest committee visit comes as Indian authorities continue to examine migration, documentation and demographic issues involving Rohingya and other communities in Jammu and Kashmir.

For Rohingya residents, such scrutiny also raises questions concerning legal status, detention, documentation and protection as a stateless community displaced from Myanmar.

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