AFSPA Extended in Parts of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh: How "Disturbed Area" Notifications Work
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in specified areas of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for six more months, from October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, unless withdrawn earlier.
The notifications were issued under Section 3 of AFSPA, which lets the government declare an area a "disturbed area". AFSPA's special powers for the armed forces apply only inside such areas.
Manipur: the whole state stays a "disturbed area", except the areas of 13 police stations in five valley districts (Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching). The MHA pointed to continuing ethnic tension, intermittent gunfire in fringe areas and the activity of insurgent (armed rebel) groups.
Nagaland: AFSPA continues in nine districts (Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren and Meluri) and in areas of 21 police stations in five more districts (Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, Wokha and Zunheboto).
Arunachal Pradesh: AFSPA continues in Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, and in the Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police station areas of Namsai district, which borders Assam.
The extension came after a review of the law and order situation. Over the last decade, the law's footprint in the Northeast has shrunk: it was fully withdrawn from Tripura (2015) and Meghalaya (2018) and from most districts of Assam.
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958
AFSPA is a law made by Parliament in 1958. It gives the armed forces extra powers, but only in places the government has declared "disturbed areas". In such places, soldiers can search, arrest without a warrant and, in extreme cases, use force that may cause death. It works like an emergency toolkit for the Army when local police alone cannot control armed violence.
Every one of the extensions announced for Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh is a Section 3 "disturbed area" notification. The six-month period follows the review rule laid down by the Supreme Court in 1997. The areas left out, such as the 13 police stations in the Imphal valley, show how the government now uses the law police station by police station, instead of for whole states.
Insurgency in Northeast India: Causes, Groups and Peace Accords
Insurgency means an armed struggle by a group against the government, usually for a separate country, a separate state or more power for a community. Since independence, several parts of Northeast India have seen such armed groups. The government has dealt with them through security operations, ceasefires and peace agreements. Violence has fallen a lot in the last decade, but a few pockets remain.
The places where AFSPA continues match the places where armed groups are still active: Manipur (ongoing ethnic tension and insurgent activity), eastern and southern Nagaland, and the Myanmar-border districts of Arunachal Pradesh. The extension shows that the security picture has improved in many parts of the Northeast, but not uniformly.
Article 355: The Union's Duty to Protect States
Article 355 of the Constitution says the Union must protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance. It must also make sure every state government runs according to the Constitution. It is found in Part XVIII (Emergency Provisions), just before Article 356 (President's Rule). It gives the Centre both a duty and a basis to step in when a state faces serious internal trouble.
The Centre can keep AFSPA in parts of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh because Section 3 lets it declare disturbed areas on its own. The Supreme Court has linked this power to the Union's duty under Article 355 to protect states from internal disturbance. This is also why AFSPA raises Centre-State questions whenever a state wants the law removed but the Centre keeps it.
- Extension period: October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 (six months), unless withdrawn earlier
- Legal basis: Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958
- Manipur: whole state "disturbed", except 13 police station areas in five districts (Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching)
- Nagaland: nine full districts (Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren, Meluri) plus 21 police station areas in Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, Wokha and Zunheboto
- Arunachal Pradesh: Tirap, Changlang, Longding districts plus Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police station areas in Namsai district
- AFSPA fully withdrawn: Tripura (May 27, 2015), Meghalaya (April 1, 2018)
- 1972 amendment: Centre also got the power to declare disturbed areas
- Supreme Court upheld AFSPA: Naga People's Movement of Human Rights v. Union of India (1997); disturbed area declarations to be reviewed every six months
- Jeevan Reddy Committee report (June 6, 2005) recommended repeal of AFSPA
- Manipur: AFSPA reimposed in six police station areas on November 14, 2024