Full Breakdown
Central Government Extends AFSPA in Parts of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh
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Extension Details and Covered Areas
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued Gazette notifications extending the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for six months, effective October 1, 2026. The extension will remain in force until March 31, 2027, unless withdrawn earlier. In Manipur, the “disturbed area” declaration now applies statewide except for 13 police stations across five districts: Imphal, Lamphel, City, Singjamei, Patsoi and Wangoi (Imphal West); Porompat, Heingang and Irilbung (Imphal East); Thoubal (Thoubal); Bishnupur (Bishnupur); and Nambol and Kakching (Kakching).
In Nagaland, AFSPA continues in nine districts—Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren and Meluri—and in specified police-station areas of Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, Wokha and Zunheboto districts.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the act is extended in the districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding, as well as the areas under Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district bordering Assam.
Background and Recent Reductions
AFSPA, enacted in 1958, grants armed forces special powers in “disturbed areas,” including the authority to conduct operations and arrest without warrant, with legal immunity for actions taken in good faith. Over the past two years, the government has progressively reduced the law’s geographic scope. In Assam, the act was limited to three districts—Tinsukia, Chariadeo and Sivasagar—after earlier withdrawals from 23 districts in April 2022 and further reductions to eight districts by April 2023. The current extension follows a fresh review of law-and-order conditions in the three northeastern states.
Official Rationale
The MHA’s notification states that the extensions are based on a review of the security situation, citing ongoing ethnic conflict, insurgency and cross-border militant activity, particularly in areas bordering Myanmar and Assam. The ministry emphasized that the extension is “subject to withdrawal earlier” if conditions improve.
Implications
The six-month extension maintains the legal framework that allows armed forces to operate with broad powers in the specified districts. While the government frames the move as a response to persistent security challenges, the continued use of AFSPA remains a point of scrutiny given its historical controversy and the government’s recent trend of scaling back the act’s reach in other regions.