PM Modi, Amit Shah laud CRPF for wiping out Naxalism
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been credited with playing the lead role in counter-insurgency operations that brought about a sustained decline in Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), also known as Naxalism, across affected states
Official assessments state that Naxal violence and the geographic spread of LWE-affected districts have fallen sharply over the past decade, culminating in a formal declaration in 2026 that no district in the country remains classified as LWE-affected
The Ministry of Home Affairs' National Policy and Action Plan (2015) and the subsequent SAMADHAN operational doctrine (2017) are cited as the framework guiding this decline, combining security operations with development and governance measures
The CRPF's specialised units, including the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) battalions, are highlighted as central to jungle and guerrilla-warfare operations against Maoist cadres
CRPF — Institutional Role as India's Lead Counter-Insurgency Force
The Central Reserve Police Force is India's largest Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and is designated the lead agency for counter-Naxal operations, distinct from its other roles in law-and-order duty, VIP security, and election security.
Key Details
- Originally raised as the Crown Representative's Police on July 27, 1939; renamed the Central Reserve Police Force by an Act of Parliament on December 28, 1949
- Functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs; deployed across LWE-affected states as well as in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East for internal security duties
- CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), raised in 2008, is the CRPF's specialised jungle-warfare and guerrilla-combat unit, purpose-built for anti-Naxal operations
- Other Central Armed Police Forces (BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, Assam Rifles) support LWE operations in their respective operational areas, but the CRPF holds the lead coordinating role
Attributing the decline in Naxal violence to CRPF operations reflects its formal designation as the lead CAPF for LWE, distinguishing its counter-insurgency mandate from the border-guarding roles of forces like the BSF or ITBP.
National Policy and Action Plan on LWE (2015) and the SAMADHAN Doctrine (2017)
The Ministry of Home Affairs adopted a National Policy and Action Plan in 2015 to address Left-Wing Extremism through a multi-pronged strategy combining security operations, development, and protection of local (especially tribal) communities' rights, rather than a purely security-driven approach.
Key Details
- The 2015 policy's approach spans security, development, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities, improved perception management, and local resource mobilisation
- SAMADHAN (2017) operationalised this into eight components for security forces: Smart leadership, Aggressive strategy, Motivation and training, Actionable intelligence, Dashboard-based key performance indicators, Harnessing technology, Action plan for each theatre, and No access to financing (cutting off funding to LWE groups)
- Special Central Assistance (SCA) and the Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) provide targeted funding for infrastructure and development in LWE-affected districts, alongside the broader Aspirational Districts Programme
The CRPF's operational successes are framed within this larger policy architecture — SAMADHAN provided the operational blueprint under which the CRPF-led security effort was conducted alongside development interventions.
Classification and Decline of LWE-Affected Districts
The Ministry of Home Affairs maintains a periodically revised classification of LWE-affected districts (most-affected, districts of concern, and legacy/thrust districts), which is used to track the geographic contraction of the insurgency and to calibrate security force deployment and central funding.
Key Details
- LWE-affected districts numbered 126 across 10 states in 2013; this fell to 38 districts (with effect from April 2024) and further declined through subsequent revisions in 2025-26
- Annual incidents of Naxal violence fell from 1,080 in 2014 to 374 in 2024; security-personnel fatalities fell from 287 (2014) to 19 (2024) over the same period
- In 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs formally communicated to the remaining affected states that no district in the country continues to fall under the LWE-affected category
- The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution (administration of Scheduled Areas) and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) are the constitutional and statutory instruments addressing the tribal governance and land-rights grievances historically cited as root causes of LWE
The 2026 "LWE-free" declaration is the culmination of the district-classification trend tracked since 2013-14, and is the direct outcome credited to the CRPF-led security effort combined with the governance measures under the Fifth Schedule and PESA framework.
- CRPF raised as Crown Representative's Police: July 27, 1939; renamed Central Reserve Police Force: December 28, 1949, by Act of Parliament
- CoBRA (CRPF's anti-Naxal specialised unit) raised in 2008
- National Policy and Action Plan on LWE adopted: 2015; SAMADHAN doctrine operationalised: 2017
- LWE-affected districts: 126 (2013, across 10 states) reduced to 38 (effective April 2024), and further reduced through 2025-26 revisions to a small residual number before the 2026 "LWE-free" declaration
- Naxal violence incidents: 1,080 (2014) down to 374 (2024); security personnel killed: 287 (2014) down to 19 (2024)
- Constitutional/statutory instruments on tribal governance linked to LWE causes: Fifth Schedule (Scheduled Areas administration); PESA Act, 1996