Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the government is undertaking a massive project to fence the 1,610-km stretch of the India-Myanmar border at a cost of Rs 31,000 crore. This move is part of the Centre’s efforts to strengthen border security and prevent demographic changes in border areas.
Addressing the Land Border District Superintendents of Police Conference 2026 in New Delhi, Shah emphasized the need for a shift from isolated border outposts to an integrated security grid. He stated that India’s border security system, built around the Centre’s smart border vision, would become the most modern in the world in the coming years.
Shah cautioned against abnormal demographic growth caused by unnatural factors, citing illegal infiltration as the primary cause of demographic changes in border areas. He highlighted the government’s commitment to curbing such growth and listed several objectives, including preventing proxy war, radicalisation, narcotics trafficking, smuggling, drone threats, cybercrime, and organised crime.
The Union Home Minister also announced plans to move towards a holistic framework for coastal border security. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between the Centre, border guarding forces, state and district administrations, relevant Union government stakeholders, and local citizens in building a strong quadrangular security grid.
Shah stressed that a secure border, a prosperous border region, and a vigilant society are essential for a secure country. He added that steps are being taken to make the country completely free of infiltration, with a focus on striking at the roots of problems and making solutions permanent.
The government has also launched the Demography Mission, which aims to study demographic changes, identify abnormal factors behind demographic growth, and recommend measures to prevent such changes in the future.
