Naxalism is a social, economic and developmental issue manifesting as a violent internal security threat. In this context, discuss the emerging issues and suggest a multilayered strategy to tackle the menace of Naxalism.
Approach · directive: “discuss / suggest”
What it asks · Discuss the new issues in tackling Left-wing extremism and propose a multilayered strategy across security, development, rights and outreach.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- Discuss the emerging issues in tackling Naxalism, seen as a social, economic and developmental problem with a violent security face
- Suggest a multilayered strategy to tackle it: security, development, rights and governance, outreach
Open with · Naxalism thrives where poverty, land and forest grievances and weak governance meet; LWE-affected districts fell from 126 to 38 by April 2024 and incidents by 77% over 2009-2021 (MHA), yet the grievance remains the disease.
Cover
- Root causes: tribal alienation, displacement for mines and dams, unimplemented forest and land rights, poor services and exploitation by contractors and officials.
- Emerging issues: a shrinking but entrenched core in areas such as Dandakaranya and Jharkhand, use of IEDs and forest terrain, extortion funding, urban support networks and human-rights concerns in operations.
- Security layer: intelligence-led operations with State and central forces working together, better-trained State police, fortified posts and the SAMADHAN principles, including actionable intelligence, technology and cutting access to finance.
- Development layer: roads, mobile connectivity, schools, health and banking in affected districts, with the Aspirational Districts programme and central assistance for LWE areas.
- Rights and governance layer: implement the Forest Rights Act and PESA, fair land acquisition and rehabilitation, accountable local administration and quick redress of tribal grievances.
- Outreach layer: dialogue, surrender and rehabilitation policy, community policing and counter-narrative, and stopping the flow of funds and arms.
Close with · Security pressure, visible development, rights delivery and community trust can end the movement's appeal; the test of the March 2026 deadline is whether schools, roads and PESA gram sabhas hold the ground after it.
Add value (verified)
- MHA (Rajya Sabha reply, 9 February 2022): only 46 districts reported LWE-related violence in 2021 against 96 in 2010, and incidents fell 77% from 2,258 in 2009 to 509 in 2021.Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 81 on Left Wing Extremism — Ministry of Home Affairs, 9 February 2022 ↗“The geographical spread of the violence has also been reduced and only 46 districts reported LWE related violence in 2021 as compared to 96 districts in 2010.”
- MHA/PIB (May 2025): LWE-affected districts fell from 126 to 90 (April 2018), 70 (July 2021) and 38 (April 2024); the most-affected districts fell from 12 to 6: Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur, Sukma, West Singhbhum and Gadchiroli.PIB backgrounder, Ministry of Home Affairs (May 2025): Left Wing Extremism: status, districts and development schemes ↗“The number of LWE affected districts reduced from 126 to 90 in April 2018, 70 in July 2021 and further to 38 in April-2024. Out of total Naxalism-affected districts, number of most affected districts has been reduced from 12 to 6, which include four districts from Chhattisgarh (Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur, and Sukma), one from Jharkhand (West Singhbhum), and one from Maharashtra (Gadchiroli).”
- MHA/PIB (May 2025): the six 'Districts of Concern' are Alluri Sitarama Raju (Andhra Pradesh), Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Malkangiri (Odisha) and Bhadradri-Kothagudem (Telangana).PIB backgrounder, Ministry of Home Affairs (May 2025): Left Wing Extremism: status, districts and development schemes ↗“These 6 districts are: Andhra Pradesh (Alluri Sitarama Raju), Madhya Pradesh (Balaghat), Odisha (Kalahandi, Kandhamal, and Malkangiri), and Telangana (Bhadradri-Kothagudem).”
- MHA/PIB (May 2025): the Government is committed to eliminating Naxalism completely by 31 March 2026.PIB backgrounder, Ministry of Home Affairs (May 2025): Left Wing Extremism: status, districts and development schemes ↗“The government of India is committed to completely eliminate Naxalism by 31st March 2026, since Naxalism is seen as the biggest obstacle in the development of remote areas and tribal villages”
- MHA/PIB (May 2025): 17,589 km of roads sanctioned under the two LWE road schemes, of which 14,618 km have been built.PIB backgrounder, Ministry of Home Affairs (May 2025): Left Wing Extremism: status, districts and development schemes ↗“17,589 km of roads have been sanctioned under these two schemes. Of these, 14,618 km have been constructed.”
- MHA/PIB (May 2025): 48 ITIs, 61 Skill Development Centres and 178 Eklavya Model Residential Schools are functional in LWE-affected districts.PIB backgrounder, Ministry of Home Affairs (May 2025): Left Wing Extremism: status, districts and development schemes ↗“For Skill development 48 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and 61 Skill Development Centres (SDCs) have been made functional in LWE affected districts. For quality education in tribal blocks of LWE affected districts 178 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) have been made functional”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2022, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 370words · Minimalist IAS
Naxalism thrives where poverty, land and forest grievances and weak governance meet. LWE-affected districts fell from 126 to 38 by April 2024 and incidents by 77% over 2009-2021 (MHA), yet violence is only the symptom; the grievance is the disease, so the response must go beyond policing.
The emerging issues
- Root causes persist: tribal alienation, displacement for mines and dams, unimplemented forest and land rights, poor services and exploitation by contractors and officials.
- Shrinking but entrenched: six most-affected districts were left by April 2024, Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur and Sukma in Chhattisgarh, West Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra (MHA, 2024), where a hard core still uses forest terrain and IEDs.
- Finance and support: extortion from contractors and mining interests funds the movement, and urban networks supply ideology and logistics.
- Rights concerns: operations that harm civilians or misuse the law deepen alienation and feed the insurgents' narrative.
- The deadline test: the Government's target of ending Naxalism by 31 March 2026 raised the stakes for due process in the final phase.
✏️ Map to sketch in the exam · LWE-affected districts, April 2024
- districts: Bijapur (Chhattisgarh), Kanker (Chhattisgarh), Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh), Sukma (Chhattisgarh), West Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) = most-affected (MHA 2024)
- districts: Alluri Sitarama Raju (Andhra Pradesh), Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), Kalahandi (Odisha), Kandhamal (Odisha), Malkangiri (Odisha), Bhadradri-Kothagudem (Telangana) = districts of concern (MHA 2024)
Draw on India's official outline (Survey of India boundary).
A multilayered strategy to tackle the menace
- Security layer: intelligence-led joint operations by State and central forces, better-trained State police, fortified posts and the SAMADHAN principles, including actionable intelligence, technology and cutting access to finance.
- Development layer: of 17,589 km of roads sanctioned for LWE areas, 14,618 km are built; 48 ITIs, 61 skill centres and 178 Eklavya Model Residential Schools are functional in affected districts (MHA, 2025), with the Aspirational Districts programme.
- Rights and governance layer: implement the Forest Rights Act and PESA, fair land acquisition, accountable local administration and quick redress of tribal grievances.
- Outreach layer: dialogue, an attractive surrender and rehabilitation policy, community policing, a counter-narrative, and choking the flow of funds and arms.
Security pressure, development, rights delivery and community trust together end the movement's appeal; the real test after the March 2026 deadline is not the last encounter but whether schools, roads and PESA gram sabhas hold the ground afterwards.
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.
