Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA)
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) empowers the Central government to declare any area a "disturbed area," after which security forces — including the Indian Army and Central Armed Police Forces — acquire special powers: the authority to use force (including lethal force) to maintain public order; powers to arrest without warrant, enter and search premises; and protection from prosecution for acts done under the Act without prior Central government sanction (Section 6).
AFSPA has been in effect in Manipur for several decades. In September 2025, the Central government extended AFSPA for six months (October 2025 to March 2026) across most of Manipur, except the limits of 13 police stations in five valley districts.
- The Act applies to areas declared "disturbed" under Section 3 by the Central or State government.
- Section 4: Grants powers to commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers to use force (even lethal), destroy arms/ammunition dumps, arrest without warrant, and search premises.
- Section 6: Immunity from prosecution — no suit or legal proceedings without the Central government's prior sanction.
- Critics argue Sections 4 and 6 together provide near-absolute impunity and have enabled human rights violations. The Supreme Court has, in various rulings, held that even in disturbed areas, the right to life and proportionality must be maintained, and that Section 6 immunity is not absolute for acts that are manifestly illegal.
- The Jeevan Reddy Committee (2005) recommended repealing AFSPA; successive governments have not acted on this recommendation.
● Tracked since March 21, 2026 · last seen May 20, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes