AFSPA Extension Explained: Six-Month Order for Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh
The government has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), for yet another six months in some designated parts of Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh. The new order will come into effect from October 1, 2026, and continue for six months. The new order comes after the government’s further evaluation of the law and order situation in the said northeastern states.
It is pertinent to note that the above extension of the said Act does not imply that AFSPA is now applicable to all the three northeastern states. The areas under the notification vary from state to state and many regions are exempted from its operation. This is especially true in the case of Manipur where 13 police-station jurisdiction areas are exempted from being declared as a disturbed area.
What is AFSPA?
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is an act that grants some special powers to the armed forces in the case where an area has been declared to be a “disturbed area” under Section 3. The act is meant to lay out legal grounds for the operations carried out by the army in disturbed areas.
This act continues to be the most debated security act in India, especially in the Northeastern part of the country. Those who advocate for the implementation of the act give reasons relating to the security situation in those disturbed areas.
What Has Changed in Manipur?
Despite the expansion of the disturbed areas notification in the entire state of Manipur, 13 police station areas covering five districts remain outside the scope of this notification. They include areas under six police stations of Imphal West, three of Imphal East, and one each from Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching districts.
It thus implies that the newly notified order cannot be considered uniform for Manipur state as far as its applicability is concerned. This continuing exclusion of these police station areas is because of the area-wise approach of the government towards AFSPA notification.
It has come at a time when Manipur state continues to face security challenges in the form of ethnic violence and activities of armed groups.
What About Nagaland?
AFSPA has been extended to nine districts of Nagaland which include Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren, and Meluri.
Besides, the order is applicable to areas that come within the purview of 21 police stations belonging to five other districts, namely Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, Wokha, and Zunheboto. Hence, the order pertains to notified areas in the state and not the entire region of Nagaland.
AFSPA’s continuation in Nagaland is an indication of the security assessment of the Centre regarding the security situation in these notified areas after its evaluation.
Areas covered in Arunachal Pradesh
In Arunachal Pradesh, the extension for six months is being applied to the three districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding. Besides, the six month’s extension will be applicable to areas under the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations of the Namsai district which lie close to the border of Assam.
Security related reasons form the basis of the continued application in these areas.
Why Has AFSPA Been Extended Again?
These notifications state that the extension comes about through an additional evaluation of the law and order situation in the region. Clause 3 of AFSPA gives the Centre the right to declare the specified areas as disturbed areas, where such situations as mentioned in the Act are prevalent.
Hence, it is nothing but the same security framework, and there is no question of introducing an entirely new law in the region. The previous duration was going to expire on September 30, hence this extension until October 1 is another six-month duration.
Over the years, the government has been evaluating the scope of AFSPA geographically and withdrawing the law from various regions of the Northeast at various times. From the notifications issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, it is clear that AFSPA is still valid in certain areas of the northeastern states.
What Powers Does AFSPA Give the Armed Forces?
The AFSPA grants additional legal powers to the armed forces working in notified disturbed areas. These powers are designed to ensure that security operations can be conducted easily in a situation where there is a threat to public order and national security.
The provisions of this Act have been considered controversial since they provide extra powers to the security forces beyond what is possible in normal police actions. However, the government has argued that these provisions are necessary in the disturbed areas due to the armed insurgency and other security problems there.
It is only after the issuance of the notification that the law comes into effect.
Does the Extension Cover All of the Northeast?
Not. AFSPA is not now applicable throughout the entire Northeast.
The Ministry of Home Affairs issues state-wise notifications that show the areas where this Act still applies. In fact, the scope of the Act has shrunk over the years in various states of the Northeastern region. Latest reports reveal that the AFSPA has been withdrawn from Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Tripura, but still exists in some other regions of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
Thus, the recent extension is just an area-specific security decision, not a blanket extension of the AFSPA throughout the Northeastern States.
Why the Six Months Period is Relevant
The AFSPA notifications are normally reviewed periodically and not taken as a permanent measure. The latest notification is valid for six months from October 1, 2026, or until the government withdraws it before this date.
The six-month period gives the government another chance to look into the security situation in the notified areas. Another review might lead to the extension, modification, or withdrawal of the Act based on the situation.
What Does This Mean for People Living in These Areas?
The extension of the notification for people living in notified areas will mean that the current structure of AFSPA will continue beyond the deadline of September 30. Security operations of the armed forces will thus continue to take place within the special legal structure that applies to disturbed areas.
For people living in the excluded areas, especially the 13 police station jurisdictions of Manipur, the latest notification has not extended the declaration of the disturbed area status to these jurisdictions.
This, of course, depends on the specific district, the specific police station jurisdiction and the notification applicable to an individual’s locality.
Why AFSPA is a Controversial Act
AFSPA has been politically and socially controversial due to the delicate balance it holds between the security needs of the nation and the counter-insurgency operations and the civil rights of the citizens.
While the government regards it as a security act for disturbed areas, civil rights groups have consistently challenged its application and questioned its implementation.
The recent extension, therefore, is expected to reignite the controversy over the justification of the law.
Conclusion
The most recent decision of the Centre extends the AFSPA for six more months from October 1, 2026, in certain areas of Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh. The order is made after reviewing the law and order situation prevailing in those areas and does not extend the law in its entirety to all the three states.
Manipur continues to be notified except in 13 police station jurisdictions, while nine districts and certain police station jurisdictions in Nagaland and three districts and certain jurisdictions in Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh continue to be notified.
The extension ensures that the AFSPA controversy continues while giving the Centre another six months to study the security situation in the area.
The recent order for AFSPA is a six-month extension of the present security situation, and it is not an extension throughout the entire Northeast.
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