No district affected by Naxalism anymore: Ministry of home affairs
The Ministry of Home Affairs' comprehensive security review, completed after March 31, 2026, established that no district in the country now falls under the "LWE-affected" category
The last such review (notified March 27) had listed only two districts — Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) and West Singhbhum (Jharkhand) — as LWE-affected; both have since been reclassified
The number of LWE-affected districts has fallen from 126 (prior to April 2018) to zero by March 2026
37 districts have been categorised as "Legacy and Thrust" districts and one as a "District of Concern" — these will continue to receive central funding and monitoring despite being free of active insurgency
Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand remain the only states that recorded any Maoist-linked incidents in the latest reporting period
Classification of LWE-Affected Districts
The Ministry of Home Affairs periodically classifies districts for Left Wing Extremism (LWE) based on parameters like the number of violent incidents, resultant deaths, and the geographical spread of Naxal activity. This classification determines eligibility for central funding under security and development schemes and is reviewed periodically (most recently, after March 31, 2026).
Key Details
- District count fell from 126 (pre-April 2018) to 90 (2018), progressively down to single digits by 2025, and finally to zero by the March 2026 review
- Categories used include "Most LWE-affected," "District of Concern," and "Legacy/Thrust districts" — the last denoting areas historically affected but now free of active insurgency, retained for continued monitoring to prevent regrouping
- The two last LWE-affected districts before the zero-district declaration were Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) and West Singhbhum (Jharkhand)
- Classification decisions are communicated by the MHA to state governments and directly affect disbursement under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme
The March 2026 review is the first to classify zero districts as LWE-affected, formally ending a classification framework that has structured Centre-state security cooperation on Naxalism for over two decades.
Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme
The SRE Scheme is a Centre-funded sub-scheme under the umbrella "Modernization of Police Forces" (MPF) scheme. It reimburses states for security-related expenditure — training, insurance for police personnel, community policing, publicity materials, and rehabilitation of surrendered cadres — in LWE-affected and monitored districts.
Key Details
- Implemented through the Ministry of Home Affairs; funds flow directly to state police forces in eligible districts
- Union Budget 2025-26 allocated Rs 3,481.27 crore for security expenditure and the Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) in LWE areas
- SIS specifically funds infrastructure like fortified police stations, road connectivity, and mobile towers in remotest LWE pockets
- Eligibility is directly tied to a district's LWE classification, making the March 2026 zero-district finding significant for future scheme funding criteria
As districts move from "LWE-affected" to "Legacy/Thrust" status, their funding basis under SRE and SIS shifts from active counter-insurgency spending toward consolidation and development-linked monitoring.
National Policy and Action Plan, 2015 and the SAMADHAN Doctrine
The government's current anti-Naxal strategy rests on the National Policy and Action Plan (2015), a multi-pronged approach combining security operations, development initiatives, and protection of local rights and entitlements (including under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and PESA, 1996). This was operationalised through the "SAMADHAN" doctrine announced in 2017.
Key Details
- SAMADHAN is an acronym: Smart leadership, Aggressive strategy, Motivation and training, Actionable intelligence, Dashboard-based key performance indicators, Harnessing technology, Action plan for each theatre, No access to financing (for Maoist cadres)
- The 2015 policy explicitly links security operations with development spending (roads, mobile connectivity, skill development) in affected districts
- "No access to financing" targets extortion networks and illegal mining/timber revenue that historically funded Maoist groups
The zero-district outcome is presented by the government as the culmination of the SAMADHAN doctrine's coordinated security-plus-development approach implemented since 2015-17.
- LWE-affected districts: 126 (pre-April 2018) → 0 (March 2026 review)
- Districts categorised as "Legacy and Thrust": 37; "District of Concern": 1
- Last two LWE-affected districts (before reclassification): Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) and West Singhbhum (Jharkhand)
- States with any reported Maoist-linked incidents in the latest period: Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand only
- SRE/SIS allocation, Union Budget 2025-26: Rs 3,481.27 crore
- SAMADHAN doctrine announced: 2017; National Policy and Action Plan on LWE: 2015