**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 239 in the Lok Sabha, to be answered on December 2, 2025. It details the steps taken by the Government of India to enhance the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and actions against unlawful organizations. It highlights measures taken to make the NIA a world-class investigative agency.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **NIA Establishment and Mandate:**
* NIA was set up under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, as a Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency.
* It investigates and prosecutes offences affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India, relations with foreign states and international treaties.
* **Enhancing NIA Capacity:**
* NIA empowered to investigate scheduled offences outside India through the 'NIA (Amendment) Act, 2019'.
* Mandate expanded to include Explosive Substances Act, Human Trafficking, Cyber Terrorism and Arms Act.
* Expanded presence across India with 21 branch offices, 2 zonal offices, and a headquarters in Delhi.
* Total sanctioned posts are 1901, with 769 sanctioned in the last five years.
* 52 NIA Special Courts designated, including 3 specifically for NIA cases.
* Established 'National Terror Data Fusion & Analysis Centre (NTDFAC)' for Big Data Analytics.
* ISIS Investigation Research Cell (IIRC) was created in 2018 and renamed Counter Terrorism Research Cell (CTRC).
* Exclusive Divisions created, including ‘Anti Human Trafficking Division', 'Anti Cyber Terrorism Division', ‘Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Cell’, and a Special Cell comprising legal experts.
* Dedicated ‘Foreign Investigation Request Unit (FIRU)' established in 2024.
* NIA is the Nodal Agency for Terror Funding and Fake Currency cases, with a dedicated 'Terror Funding and Fake Currency (TFFC) Cell'.
* Hosted the 3rd Ministerial Level Conference ‘No Money for Terror (NMFT)' in 2022 with 78 countries and 16 Multilateral Organizations participating.
* Conducted ‘Capacity Building Training Programmes (CBTPs)' for NIA officers, State/UT Police, Central Police Organizations, and Foreign Officers.
* MoU signed in March 2025 with ‘National Forensic Science University (NFSU)' for forensic expertise capacity building.
* Joint Task Force (JTF) instituted between India and Bangladesh for information exchange on FICN.
* NIA benchmarked its capacities against the best counter-terrorism agencies globally.
* **Actions Against Unlawful Activities:**
* The Government of India maintains a ‘Zero-tolerance policy' against unlawful activities.
* The government has declared 23 organizations as Unlawful Associations in the last five years.
* A list of these organizations is provided in Annexure 'A'.
**Impact Analysis**
**NIA Officers and Staff**
* **Impact:** Enhanced capabilities, expanded responsibilities, and increased focus on training and forensic expertise.
* **Action Required:** Participate in capacity building programs, utilize new divisions and resources, and adhere to new investigation protocols.
**State/UT Police, Central Police Organizations (CPOs), and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)**
* **Impact:** Collaboration with NIA for training programs.
* **Action Required:** Participate in joint training programs with NIA.
**Foreign Officers**
* **Impact:** Participation in capacity building programs.
* **Action Required:** Participate in joint training programs with NIA.
**Government of India**
* **Impact:** Reinforcement of national security through enhanced NIA capabilities and a zero-tolerance policy against unlawful activities.
* **Action Required:** Continue to support and oversee the operations of the NIA.
**Bangladesh and Nepal Police Officers**
* **Impact:** Better equipped to deal with FICN smuggling.
* **Action Required:** Participate in the capacity building programs.
Key Entities Referenced
National Investigation Agency (NIA): The central counter-terrorism law enforcement agency in India, responsible for investigating and prosecuting offences affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India.
National Investigation Agency Act, 2008: The act under which the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was established.
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967: The act invoked for declaring organizations as unlawful associations.
NIA (Amendment) Act, 2019: The act amending the NIA Act, empowering NIA to investigate scheduled offences involving Indian citizens or interests committed outside India.
India: The country where the NIA operates and whose security is the primary concern of the NIA.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 239
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2ND DECEMBER, 2025/ AGRAHAYANA 11, 1947
(SAKA)
NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY
†239. SHRI DILIP SAIKIA:
Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the details of steps taken by the Government to make the National
Investigation Agency (NIA) a world-class investigative agency;
(b) whether the Government has taken action against various
organizations involved in unlawful activities in the country during the last
five years; and
(c) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI NITYANAND RAI)
(a) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was set up under the
National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 as a Central Counter Terrorism
Law Enforcement Agency in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The Agency investigates and prosecutes offences affecting the
sovereignty, security and integrity of India, security of State, friendly
relations with foreign States, matters relating to international treaties
etc. specified in the Schedule to the NIA Act, 2008.-2-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 239 FOR 02.12.2025
To enhance the capacity of the NIA, with the objective to make NIA in to
a world-class investigating agency while proficiently fulfilling its
responsibilities- in prevention, investigation and prosecution of crimes
affecting / threatening national security, following steps / initiatives have
been taken:
(i). The Government has empowered the NIA through ‘NIA
(Amendment) Act, 2019’, to investigate scheduled offences involving
Indian citizens or Indian interests that are committed outside India.
(ii). Further, the mandate of NIA has also been expanded to
investigate offences related to Explosive Substances Act, 1908,
Human Trafficking, Cyber Terrorism and Arms Act, 1959.
(iii). Footprint of NIA has been expanded pan India, by establishing
21 branch offices in different parts of the country, with 02 Zonal
Offices (in Guwahati and Jammu) and Headquarter at Delhi.
(iv). The NIA has total 1901 sanctioned posts at present, out of
which 769 posts have been sanctioned during the last five years.-3-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 239 FOR 02.12.2025
(v). The Government has designated 52 NIA Special Courts across
the country, out of which 03 NIA Special Courts at Ranchi, Jammu
and Mumbai have been designated as the Special Courts exclusively
for the trial of Scheduled Offences investigated by the NIA.
(vi). ‘National Terror Data Fusion & Analysis Centre (NTDFAC)’ has
been established in the NIA for enabling of Big Data Analytics and
facilitating the automation and digitization of the various
investigative process, procedures that will strengthen supervision
and enhance efficiency, consistency and accountability.
(vii). The Government has created ISIS Investigation Research Cell
(IIRC) in NIA in January, 2018 and broadened its scope to other
theatres of terrorism and renamed it as Counter Terrorism Research
Cell (CTRC).
(viii). Exclusive Divisions, such as, ‘Anti Human Trafficking Division
(AHTD)’, ‘Anti Cyber Terrorism Division (ACTD)’, ‘Financial Action
Task Force (FATF) Cell’, ‘Financial Analysis Unit (FAU)’ and a Special
Cell comprising of legal experts have also been created in the NIA.-4-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 239 FOR 02.12.2025
(ix). To institutionalize India’s capacity in handling investigations
that involve a foreign jurisdiction, a dedicated ‘Foreign Investigation
Request Unit (FIRU)’ has been established within NIA in 2024.
(x). The NIA has been made the Nodal Agency at Central level for
investigation of Terror Funding and High Quality ‘Fake Indian
Currency Notes (FICN)’ cases, for which a ‘Terror Funding and Fake
Currency (TFFC) Cell’ has been constituted in the NIA for conducting
focused investigation.
(xi). To collaborate with countries across the world, NIA organised
the 3rd edition of the Ministerial Level Conference ‘No Money for
Terror (NMFT)’ during 2022. Delegates from 78 countries and 16
Multilateral Organizations participated in the said conference.
(xii). During the past 05 years, NIA in collaboration with foreign
agencies, have conducted the ‘Capacity Building Training
Programmes (CBTPs)’ for the NIA officers and States/UT Police,
Central Police Organizations (CPOs) and Central Armed Police
Forces (CAPFs). The NIA has also conducted such programmes for
the Foreign Officers during the last 03 years.-5-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 239 FOR 02.12.2025
(xiii). Recently, the Government has accorded an approval for
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NIA and ‘National
Forensic Science University (NFSU)’ for capacity building of NIA
officers in the field of forensic expertise. It has been signed by both
the parties in March, 2025.
(xiv). A Joint Task Force (JTF) has been instituted between India and
Bangladesh for exchange of information related to FICN. NIA has
conducted capacity building programs of various Law Enforcement
Agencies (LEAs) at Central and State level as well as for police
officers of neighbouring countries including Bangladesh and Nepal
for dealing with FICN smuggling.
(xv). An effort has been made to benchmark the capacities of NIA at
par with the parameters of functioning of the best counter-terrorism
agencies in the world, in order to bolster the capacity of the NIA in
prevention, investigation and prosecution of crimes affecting/
threatening national security.
As an outcome of these steps, capabilities of NIA have been
significantly bolstered, to grow it as a premier investigating agency,-6-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 239 FOR 02.12.2025
which has been performing efficiently and effectively- in discharging
its mandate in an impactful manner. NIA has now emerged as a
globally renowned investigative agency, with a conviction rate of
92.44% in judgements pronounced in 172 cases (out of the total 692
registered cases since its inception).
(b) & (c) The Government of India maintains a ‘Zero-tolerance policy’
against any form of unlawful activities, that are prejudicial to the
sovereignty, unity, integrity, and security of the nation.
The Government of India has taken continuous and stringent action
against various organizations found to be involved in unlawful activities in
accordance with the provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,
1967.
Accordingly, in the last five years, the Government has declared 23
organizations as Unlawful Associations. The list is enclosed as
Annexure ‘A’.
*******ANNEXURE-A (page-1)
L.S.US.Q.NO. 239 FOR 02.12.2025
List of organizations declared as unlawful associations during the last
05 years:
Sl. Name of Unlawful Association
No.
1. Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)
2. United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA)
3. All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF)
4. Meitei Extremist Organizations, namely-
(i) Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing,
the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF)
(ii) United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and its armed
wing, the Manipur Peoples’ Army (MPA)
(iii) Peoples’ Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK)
and its Armed wing, the ‘Red Army’.
(iv) Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and its armed
wing, also called the ‘Red Army’
(v) Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL)
(vi) Coordination Committee (CorCom) and
(vii) Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK)
5. National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT)
6. Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC)
7. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
8. National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) [NSCN
(K)]
9. Islamic Research Foundation (IRF)ANNEXURE-A (page-2)
L.S.US.Q.NO. 239 FOR 02.12.2025
10. Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Jammu and Kashmir
11. Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (Mohd. Yasin Malik
faction) (JKLF-Y)
12. Sikhs for Justice (SFJ)
13. Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates
or fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus
Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National
Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO),
National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India
Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.
14. Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP)
15. Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction)/
(MLJK-MA)
16. Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Jammu and Kashmir (TeH)
17. Muslim Conference Jammu and Kashmir (Bhat faction)
(MCJK-B)
18. Muslim Conference Jammu and Kashmir (Sumji faction)
(MCJK-S)
19. Jammu Kashmir National Front (JKNF)
20. Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League (JKPFL)
21. Four factions of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League
(JKPL), namely: JKPL
(Mukhtar Ahmed Waza), JKPL (Bashir Ahmad Tota), JKPL
(Ghulam Mohammad Khan @Sopori) and JKPL (Aziz
Sheikh) led by Yaqoob Sheikh
22. Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM)
23. Awami Action Committee (AAC)
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