MHA Extends AFSPA in Parts of Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh

Gist The Union Home Ministry has extended the application of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act AFSPA for another six months in designated "disturbed areas" across Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh. This continuation reverses a previous trend of gradually withdrawing the legislation from the Northeast, largely driven by the severe law and order crisis stemming from Manipur's ongoing ethnic violence. Aspirants must understand this development as a key issue in internal security, highlighting the statutory mechanisms the state uses to deploy armed forces in protracted civil conflicts and the friction it creates with civil liberties. Background The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 is a stringent central legislation that grants extraordinary powers to the Army and Central Armed Police Forces CAPF deployed in regions officially classified as "disturbed areas". To invoke these powers, the Central government or the State Governor must officially declare the region a "disturbed area" due to an internal security crisis that the local police cannot manage alone. Once applied, security personnel are empowered to use lethal force against anyone contravening the law, arrest individuals and search…