CURRENT AFFAIRS | MAY 19, 2026
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 18 May 2026, on his first Bastar visit after the self-imposed 31 March 2026 LWE-eradication deadline, declared ‘India is now Naxal-free’. Addressing families of CAPF personnel and victims of Maoist violence at Jagdalpur, the Home Minister said three generations had been lost to violence and underdevelopment in Naxal-affected regions, citing 8,921 Maoists arrested in 4,813 encounters and 1,852 arms recovered; he claimed 90 per cent of LWE cadres were neutralised in 2026 alone. The government announced 70 new CAPF camps to be transformed into ‘Jan Jan Suvidha Kendra’ one-stop centres delivering over 370 government schemes — Aadhaar, ration, banking, healthcare, skill development and adult education.
Constitutional & Legal Framework
- Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Section 35 — empowers the Centre to ban organisations; CPI (Maoist) is listed in Schedule I.
- Article 244 + Schedules V and VI — administration of Scheduled and Tribal Areas, which overlap heavily with the LWE belt.
- Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) — extends Panchayati Raj to Schedule V areas, recognising Gram Sabha control over local resources.
- Forest Rights Act 2006 — recognises individual and community forest rights of STs and other traditional forest dwellers occupying forest land before 13 December 2005.
- Nandini Sundar v State of Chhattisgarh (2011) — Supreme Court banned the Salwa Judum militia and arming of tribal youth as Special Police Officers.
- Greyhounds (Andhra Pradesh, 1989) — model anti-LWE jungle warfare unit; Operation Green Hunt (2009) — umbrella term for joint anti-Maoist operations.
Why This Matters for CLAT 2027
LWE policy is a recurring Polity-meets-Current-Affairs topic. Expect:
- Direct MCQs on UAPA Section 35, Schedule V vs VI, and PESA full form.
- Legal Reasoning passages on Nandini Sundar (2011) and the limits on State outsourcing of force.
- GK on Greyhounds (AP), Operation Green Hunt (2009), and the new ‘Jan Jan Suvidha Kendra’ model.
- Polity-rights crossover on Forest Rights Act and how welfare delivery (370 schemes) is the new counter-insurgency doctrine.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Declaration | ‘India is now Naxal-free’ — Amit Shah, Bastar, 18 May 2026 |
| 2026 enforcement data | 8,921 arrests, 4,813 encounters, 1,852 arms recovered |
| CAPF model | 70 camps to become Jan Jan Suvidha Kendras |
| Schemes routed | 370 plus government schemes via the new centres |
| CPI(Maoist) status | Banned under UAPA Schedule I via Section 35 |
| Key SC verdict | Nandini Sundar v State of Chhattisgarh (2011) |
Mnemonic & Memory Aid
“PESA-FRA shields the forest; UAPA-S35 bans the gun; SC kills Salwa Judum”
- PESA + FRA = rights anchor (panchayats + forest)
- UAPA Section 35 = ban-listing mechanism
- Nandini Sundar (2011) = Salwa Judum and SPO arming struck down
- 70 / 370 = 70 CAPF camps, 370 schemes (new doctrine)
Test Your Knowledge — 10 MCQs
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
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