The Union Home Ministry has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act across large parts of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months, effective October 1, 2026, following a review of the law-and-order situation in the three northeastern states.
State-by-state coverage
Three separate Gazette notifications issued on September 25 invoke Section 3 of AFSPA, 1958, which allows the Centre to declare an area "disturbed" when the use of armed forces is considered necessary to assist civil authorities. Unless withdrawn earlier, the extension runs for six months.
In Manipur, the disturbed-area declaration continues across most of the state, with a carve-out for areas under 13 police stations in five districts — Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching — all in the Imphal Valley region. The extension comes amid continuing internal security challenges in the state, where ethnic violence has persisted since May 2023.
In Nagaland, AFSPA has been renewed in nine districts — Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren and Meluri — along with areas under 21 police stations across five other districts: Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, Wokha and Zunheboto.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the Act continues in the districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding, as well as areas under Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district, which borders Assam.
A familiar six-month cycle
The Centre reviews the disturbed-area status of these states roughly every six months, and the latest round largely retains the existing footprint of the law rather than expanding or significantly shrinking it. In Manipur, the security situation has remained under close watch after years of ethnic violence that claimed more than 260 lives since May 2023, leading to the imposition of President's Rule in February 2025 and the return of an elected government earlier this year.
AFSPA grants armed forces operating in notified areas special powers including search, arrest and the use of force under specified legal conditions for the "maintenance of public order."
Sources:
AFSPA extended 6 months in Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal from Oct 1 — Nation Press
www.nationpress.com
Centre extends AFSPA in 'disturbed areas' of Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh by six months — Tripura India
AFSPA Extended in Parts of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh — GKToday
State-by-state coverage
Three separate Gazette notifications issued on September 25 invoke Section 3 of AFSPA, 1958, which allows the Centre to declare an area "disturbed" when the use of armed forces is considered necessary to assist civil authorities. Unless withdrawn earlier, the extension runs for six months.
In Manipur, the disturbed-area declaration continues across most of the state, with a carve-out for areas under 13 police stations in five districts — Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching — all in the Imphal Valley region. The extension comes amid continuing internal security challenges in the state, where ethnic violence has persisted since May 2023.
In Nagaland, AFSPA has been renewed in nine districts — Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren and Meluri — along with areas under 21 police stations across five other districts: Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, Wokha and Zunheboto.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the Act continues in the districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding, as well as areas under Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district, which borders Assam.
A familiar six-month cycle
The Centre reviews the disturbed-area status of these states roughly every six months, and the latest round largely retains the existing footprint of the law rather than expanding or significantly shrinking it. In Manipur, the security situation has remained under close watch after years of ethnic violence that claimed more than 260 lives since May 2023, leading to the imposition of President's Rule in February 2025 and the return of an elected government earlier this year.
AFSPA grants armed forces operating in notified areas special powers including search, arrest and the use of force under specified legal conditions for the "maintenance of public order."
Sources:
AFSPA extended 6 months in Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal from Oct 1 — Nation Press
AFSPA extended 6 months in Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal from Oct 1
India's Home Ministry has renewed AFSPA for six more months across most of Manipur, swaths of Nagaland, and three Arunachal Pradesh districts from 1 October — a quiet but significant decision that keeps sweeping military powers in place across the Northeast even as Manipur's 260-death ethnic...
www.nationpress.com
AFSPA Extended in Parts of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh — GKToday