Why in news
The Army has requested the Union Home Ministry to expand the areas in Manipur under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).
This request follows the reimposition of AFSPA in parts of Manipur in November 2024 due to ongoing ethnic violence.
The Union Home Ministry is reviewing the AFSPA's scope in several Northeastern states, including Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur.
Whats is AFSPA?
Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958.
Ministry : Home Affairs
The Act came into force in the context of increasing violence in the North-eastern States decades ago.
The Act gives armed forces the power to:
Kill anyone acting in contravention of the law.
Arrest and search without a warrant.
Use force to maintain order in "disturbed areas."
Protection from prosecution for actions taken under the Act (requires central government sanction).
An area is declared disturbed if there are serious disturbances due to insurgent activities, ethnic violence, or civil unrest.
Act was amended in 1972 and the powers to declare an area as “disturbed” were conferred concurrently upon the Central government along with the States.
The declaration can last for three months and may be extended.
The AFSPA is currently applied in parts of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur, based on the security situation.
Periodic "disturbed area" notifications are issued by the Union Home Ministry to extend AFSPA in these regions.
COMMENTS