Centre Extends AFSPA in Parts of Three Northeast States
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act will remain in force for another six months in specified areas of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh from October 1 following a review of the security situation.
The Centre has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) for another six months in specified areas of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, following a review of the law-and-order situation in the Northeast.
According to Gazette notifications, the extension will take effect from October 1, 2026, and remain in force for six months unless withdrawn earlier.
AFSPA applies to areas formally declared "disturbed areas" and provides specified powers to members of the armed forces operating in those areas.
AFSPA EXTENSION SNAPSHOT
October 1, 2026 — Extension takes effect
Six months — Duration unless withdrawn earlier
Manipur — Most of the state remains covered, with specified exemptions
Nagaland & Arunachal Pradesh — Selected districts and police-station areas covered
In Manipur, the Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the disturbed-area declaration across the state while excluding areas falling under the jurisdiction of 13 police stations in five districts.
The exempted police-station areas are in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching districts.
The continuation means AFSPA will remain applicable across the rest of Manipur during the notified period.
In Nagaland, the Act has been extended across nine districts — Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren and Meluri.
It will also remain applicable in specified police-station jurisdictions in other parts of Nagaland covered by the government's disturbed-area notification.
NAGALAND COVERAGE
AFSPA continues across nine entire districts, along with specified police-station areas elsewhere in the state.
In Arunachal Pradesh, AFSPA has been extended in Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, along with specified areas bordering Assam covered by designated police-station jurisdictions.
The Centre said the decision followed a review of the security and law-and-order situation in the concerned areas.
AFSPA allows armed forces operating in areas declared disturbed to exercise specified powers under the law, including conducting searches and making arrests without a warrant in circumstances covered by the Act.
The law has remained the subject of longstanding public and political debate in the Northeast. Supporters of its continued application have cited security requirements in areas affected by insurgency and armed-group activity, while critics and civil-society organisations have raised concerns over accountability and civil liberties.
The latest notifications do not introduce AFSPA across all three states uniformly. Instead, they continue its application in specifically designated areas, while some jurisdictions remain outside the disturbed-area framework.
The six-month extension will remain effective from October 1 unless the Centre decides to withdraw or modify the disturbed-area declarations earlier.