ICSSR invites papers on ‘religious conversion and demographic dynamics’

Religious conversion and demographic dynamics; cross-border migration, border governance and national security; indigenous populations and social diversity in demography; and digital society and artificial intelligence in demographic data systems are among the 18 themes on which the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) has invited original research papers for a special issue on “Understanding India’s Demographic Shift: Trends, Transitions and Policy Perspectives” for its journal Indian Social Science Review (ISSR).

Call covers migration, ageing, fertility and demographic transition

The call for papers also spans a wide range of other areas including population dynamics and demographic transition, population policy and census systems, comparative and international demography, population ageing, fertility and family formation, migration and urbanisation, labour market transformation, human capital, health and nutrition, and population-environment linkages.

According to ICSSR, 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. The submission guidelines will be released on August 24, while the deadline for online submissions is November 21.

ICSSR member secretary Dhananjay Singh, in a post on X on August 17, stated that special issue of the journal would provide “an interdisciplinary platform to examine the drivers, dimensions and consequences of India’s demographic transformation and their implications for family, society, economy, governance and national development”.

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Government panel examining demographic changes, illegal migration

The government, in May set up a high-level committee to study demographic changes. 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.

Singh claimed India is undergoing a “profound demographic transformation” driven by changing fertility, life expectancy, ageing, migration, labour markets and technology. He said evidence-based debate was needed to address emerging challenges and “enrich India’s demographic discourse, inform policymaking and contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047”.

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Journal revival brings renewed focus on demographic research

The Indian Social Science Review, a multidisciplinary journal of ICSSR, was first launched in 1999 but discontinued in 2009 following internal policy reviews and shifting institutional priorities. The latest call marks its revival.

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. 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.”

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“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. Demographic diversity should therefore be addressed through cooperative federalism, equitable resource allocation and policies tailored to each state’s needs. 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.

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. 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.”

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BJP defends demographic research as policy tool

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”.

Researcher flags concerns over themes on conversion, migration

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. 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.”