The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) has announced a call for original research papers for a special issue of its journal, Indian Social Science Review (ISSR). The theme of this issue is “Understanding India’s Demographic Shift: Trends, Transitions and Policy Perspectives.” Among the 18 topics of interest are religious conversion, cross-border migration, border governance, national security, and the dynamics of indigenous populations. The role of digital society and artificial intelligence in managing demographic data is also a focal point.
BJP defends demographic research as policy tool
The government, in May set up a high-level committee to study demographic changes. And for that, it uses educational institutions, civil society organisations, mass media, social media, religious organisations, literally any platform it can, to reinforce its communal, xenophobic and supremacist ideology. This ICSSR call for papers is just another tool in its larger toolkit. “India needs a differentiated, state-sensitive demographic policy, not a one-size-fits-all approach. States facing aging and low fertility need support for healthcare , social security and a productive workforce, while younger states need investment in education, jobs and skills. A uniform national approach could deepen regional inequalities, particularly if states that successfully reduced fertility are penalised for doing so as this government is repeatedly attempting through the Delimitation Bill, ” he added. Institutions meant to promote scientific temper must remain independent and must not become puppets of any government or political agenda. India’s diverse demographic realities also demand state-specific policies, not a one-size-fits-all approach that could deepen regional inequalities. But the big themes on religious conversion, cross border mobility seem to be guided by a political motive aligning with the ruling party’s political agenda. Of course the themes would be more relevant in the context of the census data which hasn’t been conducted belatedly. Policy responses in the absence of proper data systems is logically flawed and can have misguided and erroneous consequences.”
Demographic diversity should therefore be addressed through cooperative federalism, equitable resource allocation and policies tailored to each state’s needs. The submission guidelines will be released on August 24, while the deadline for online submissions is November 21.
The special issue seeks “innovative, policy-relevant scholarship” that can deepen understanding of India’s evolving demographic landscape and contribute to the broader vision of Viksit Bharat in 2047, according to ICSSR. It is chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah and its mandate includes mapping demographic changes on account of illegal migration and other “abnormal” factors and suggesting measures to counter the same. Pawan Khera, MP, Rajya Sabha and chairman of Congress’ media, publicity and communications department, said, “This is not an isolated incident; It is part of a larger pattern of the RSS-BJP seeking to establish its hegemony. Abbas Haider, spokesperson, Samajwadi Party (SP), said, “Demographic issues must be studied through independent research, credible data and scientific evidence—not turned into political narratives. BJP spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan said the initiative was a “strategic concept” that needed to be “academically studied”, arguing that demographic shifts had played a role in the emergence of countries such as South Sudan and Kosovo . “Once you have the data, there are so many things that are correlated,” he said, adding that deeper academic research would help inform the policy debate. He said such research would ultimately serve the cause of “national integrity and unity”, while dismissing the Opposition’s criticism as being linked to “minority appeasement”. Souradeep Banerjee, PhD candidate, department of political science, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA, who has previously conducted research in the areas of internal migration, identity politics and refugees, said: “Some of the themes such as ageing, fertility and labour market do seem to be guided by a clear research motive.
