Left Wing Extremism (LWE) is showing a downward trend, but still affects many parts of the country. Briefly explain the Government of India’s approach to counter the challenges posed by LWE.
Approach · directive: “briefly explain”
What it asks · Explain in brief the Government of India's multi-pronged approach to LWE: security, development, rights and entitlements, and community outreach.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- Note the context: LWE declined from 126 affected districts in 2014 to 11 in 2025, and India became effectively free from LWE on 31 March 2026
- Briefly explain the Government of India's multi-pronged approach: security, development, rights and entitlements, and outreach, with the remaining challenges
Open with · LWE-affected districts fell from 126 in 2014 to 11 in 2025 (MHA), and on 31 March 2026 India became effectively free from Left Wing Extremism (PIB); the approach behind this merits explanation.
Cover
- Context: LWE-affected districts 126 (2014) to 11 (2025), most affected 36 to 3 (MHA, December 2025); India effectively free from LWE on 31 March 2026 (PIB, June 2026).
- Policy frame: police is a State subject; National Policy and Action Plan 2015 joins security, development, rights and entitlements.
- Security: CAPFs, Security Related Expenditure scheme, fortified police stations 66 to 586, helicopters, intelligence-sharing; SAMADHAN doctrine 2017.
- Development: over 12,000 km roads, 8,500-plus mobile towers, Special Central Assistance to worst districts, Aspirational Districts.
- Rights: Forest Rights Act 2006, PESA 1996, MGNREGA, PDS and schooling to remove grievances; surrender and rehabilitation, nearly 2,000 surrenders in 2025.
- Challenges: land alienation and displacement, uneven governance, weak inter-State coordination; the vacuum must be filled by governance.
Close with · Security cleared the space; development and rights must now fill it, so the end of violence becomes Scheduled Area governance in letter and spirit, through PESA gram sabhas, forest titles and roads that stay open.
Add value (verified)
- The Home Ministry describes the approach as integrated and holistic, addressing security and development while promoting good governance, under its National Policy and Action Plan to Address Left Wing Extremism.Annual Report 2023-24, Chapter 2 (Internal Security: Left Wing Extremism, para 2.18), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India ↗“The Government of India (GoI) has adopted an integrated and holistic approach to deal with the LWE by addressing the areas of Security and Development and simultaneously promoting good governance.”
- PIB (13 December 2025): LWE-affected districts fell from 126 (2014) to 11 (2025) and most-affected districts from 36 to 3; over 12,000 km of roads, 586 fortified police stations and 8,500-plus mobile towers were built.PIB backgrounder: From Red Corridor to Naxal-Free Bharat: A Decade of Decisive Gains (2014-2025), 13 December 2025 ↗“Naxal-affected districts slashed from 126 (2014) to only 11 (2025), with most-affected districts down from 36 to just 3, marking the near-collapse of the Red Corridor.”
- The same PIB backgrounder lists over 12,000 km of roads, 586 fortified police stations, 361 new camps and 8,500-plus mobile towers, and notes fortified police stations rose from 66 until 2014 to 586.PIB backgrounder, 13 December 2025: key takeaways and infrastructure ↗“Over 12,000 km roads, 586 fortified police stations, 361 new camps, 8,500+ mobile towers operational”
- PIB, December 2025: in 2025 nearly 2,000 Naxals surrendered, with the Government targeting a Naxal-free India by March 2026.PIB backgrounder, 13 December 2025: operational achievements 2025 ↗“800+ arrested, and nearly 2,000 surrendered, driving the highest-ever attrition and demonstrating irreversible momentum toward a Naxal-free India by March 2026.”
- PIB's June 2026 backgrounder says that on 31 March 2026 the country 'became effectively free from Left-Wing Extremism' after nearly six decades of violence; this is the Government's own claim, not an independent audit.PIB backgrounder: Naxal-Free India: Integrated Strategies Defeated Left-Wing Extremism (June 2026) ↗“On 31 March 2026, India achieved a historic milestone. After nearly six decades of violence, the country became effectively free from Left-Wing Extremism.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2018, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 226words · Minimalist IAS
LWE-affected districts fell from 126 in 2014 to 11 in 2025 (PIB, December 2025); the target was a Naxal-free India by 31 March 2026, when PIB (June 2026) says the country "became effectively free from Left-Wing Extremism".
The Government of India's approach to counter LWE
- Policy frame: police is a State subject, so the Centre supplements States under the National Policy and Action Plan, 2015, joining security, development and rights.
- Security: Central Armed Police Forces, SRE reimbursement of States' costs, fortified police stations (66 before 2014 to 586), helicopters and intelligence-sharing.
- SAMADHAN (2017): smart leadership, aggressive strategy, actionable intelligence, technology and choking Maoist finances.
- Development: over 12,000 km of roads, 8,500-plus mobile towers, and Special Central Assistance to the worst districts, with Aspirational Districts focus.
- Rights: the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and PESA, 1996, with MGNREGA, PDS and schools, to remove grievances.
- Outreach: surrender and rehabilitation; nearly 2,000 surrendered in 2025 alone.
- 2015: National Policy and Action Plan
- 2017: SAMADHAN
- 2025: 11 affected districts left
- 31 Mar 2026: target date for a Naxal-free India
Remaining challenges
- Holding the ground: land alienation, uneven governance and weak inter-State coordination could let the vacuum refill.
Security cleared the space; development and rights must now fill it, so the security gains become Scheduled Area governance in letter and spirit, through PESA gram sabhas, forest titles and roads that stay open.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
