Provisions of AFSPA

Gist The Union Ministry of Home Affairs MHA has extended the application of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 in designated areas of Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months. This halts and partially reverses the recent trend of progressively withdrawing the law from the Northeast, driven by the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur and unresolved insurgencies elsewhere. Aspirants must track this development as it highlights critical issues in internal security management, human rights debates, and the complexities of Centre-State relations when deploying armed forces. Background The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 AFSPA was originally enacted to quell the uprising in the Naga Hills and subsequent insurgencies in Assam. Under Section 3 of the Act, an area can be officially notified as "disturbed" due to insurgency or severe internal security threats. Once invoked, the law grants military personnel extraordinary operational powers that regular police lack, including the authority to use lethal force against those violating prohibitory orders, and to arrest or search premises without warrants. Crucially, the Act grants legal immunity to armed forces personnel, mandating…