Centre Sets March 31, 2026 Deadline To Eradicate Naxalism Through Security And Infrastructure Expansion

Gist The Union Government has set a target to completely eradicate Left Wing Extremism LWE from India by March 31, 2026 , marking a decisive shift in the country's internal security landscape. Through a coordinated approach involving specialized security operations and the massive expansion of infrastructure, the state has successfully penetrated and dismantled former Maoist strongholds. For UPSC aspirants, this highlights the critical final phase of counter-insurgency: replacing the dismantled "Red Corridor" with a robust development corridor where roads, banking, and civilian institutions permanently replace armed rebellion. Background - Left Wing Extremism LWE , commonly known as Naxalism, thrived for decades in the geographically isolated and underdeveloped tribal belts of Central and Eastern India—an area often termed the " Red Corridor ." - The insurgency capitalized on governance vacuums, utilizing dense forests as safe havens and exploiting the absence of state infrastructure to establish parallel administrative and financial networks. - The Central Reserve Police Force CRPF , India's premier central armed police force for internal security, leads the operational charge against LWE, often deploying its specialized jungle warfare units alongside…