**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer from the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs to Unstarred Question No. 1453 in Lok Sabha, scheduled for December 9, 2025, regarding the spread of Naxalism. It details the Government of India's (GoI) efforts to address Left Wing Extremism (LWE), including security measures, development initiatives, and rehabilitation policies. The goal is to make the country Naxal-free by March 31, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Constitutional Basis:** Subjects of Police and Public Order are under the purview of State Governments.
* **National Policy and Action Plan:** A National Policy and Action Plan to address LWE was approved in 2015.
* **Security Measures:**
* The GoI supports LWE-affected states with Central Armed Police Forces, India Reserve Battalions, helicopter support, and modernization of State police forces.
* Rs. 3523.48 crore have been released since 2014-15 for capacity building, operational expenditure, training, rehabilitation, and ex-gratia payments.
* Rs. 1757 crore have been sanctioned for strengthening State's Special Forces, Intelligence Branches, District Police and construction of Fortified Police Stations.
* Central assistance is provided to states for modernizing their police forces with weapons, IT, communication, training, and infrastructure.
* Focus on choking funds to LWEs through coordinated actions by State and Central agencies.
* 656 fortified police stations have been built, and 377 new security camps have been established in core LWE affected areas.
* **Surrender and Rehabilitation:**
* The GoI and State Governments have formulated comprehensive surrender-cum-rehabilitation policies.
* The GoI reimburses expenditure incurred by LWE affected States on rehabilitation of surrenderees.
* Rehabilitation package includes immediate grants (Rs. 5 lakhs for higher ranked LWE cadres and Rs 2.5 lakhs for other LWE cadres) and incentives for surrender of weapons/ammunition.
* Provision for training in trade/vocation with a monthly stipend of Rs. 10,000/- for three years.
* **Development Initiatives:**
* Focus on road network expansion (14,978 km constructed under LWE-specific schemes), telecom connectivity (9,050 towers commissioned), skill development (46 ITIs and 49 SDCs opened), and education (179 Eklavya Model Residential Schools made functional).
* Department of Posts has opened 6,025 Post Offices with banking services.
* 1804 Bank Branches and 1321 ATMs have been opened in Most LWE affected districts.
* Rs. 3,848.49 crore have been released under the Special Central Assistance (SCA) scheme since 2017.
* **Progress and Impact:**
* The National Policy and Action Plan 2015 has led to a decline in violence and constriction of geographical spread.
* LWE-related violence incidents decreased by 89% from 2010 to 2025. Deaths of civilians & Security Forces decreased by 91% from 2010 to 2025.
* Naxal-affected districts reduced from 126 in 2014 to 11 in 2025.
* 27 districts are kept under SRE as 'Legacy & Thrust Districts'
* **Commitment:** GoI is committed for complete eradication of LWE and holistic development of freed areas.
**Impact Analysis**
**LWE Affected States**
* **Impact:** Receive assistance from the GoI in the form of security forces, infrastructure development funds, and support for rehabilitation policies.
* **Action Required:** Implement the National Policy and Action Plan, utilize funds effectively, and revise surrender cum rehabilitation policies to make them lucrative and contemporary.
**Security Forces**
* **Impact:** Their efforts to equip and modernize are supplemented by the GoI, with assistance provided for weapons, equipment, training, and infrastructure.
* **Action Required:** Enhance security infrastructure, conduct coordinated actions with central agencies to choke LWE funds, and establish new security camps.
**LWE Cadres and Surrenderees**
* **Impact:** The government is trying to encourage LWEs to surrender.
* **Action Required:** Consider surrendering under the revised rehabilitation policies, which provide financial assistance and vocational training.
**Civilians in LWE Affected Areas**
* **Impact:** Benefit from development initiatives focused on road connectivity, telecom infrastructure, education, and financial inclusion.
* **Action Required:** Participate in and support development initiatives to improve their quality of life and overall security.
Key Entities Referenced
National Policy and Action Plan to address LWE: A policy by the Government of India to address Left Wing Extremism (LWE) through a multi-pronged strategy involving security measures and development interventions, approved in 2015.
Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme: A scheme used by the Government of India to reimburse expenditure incurred by LWE affected states on rehabilitation of surrenderees and strengthening of State's forces.
Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected states: States within India impacted by Left Wing Extremism, receiving assistance and funding from the Central Government.
Ministry of Home Affairs: The primary ministry responsible for internal security and addressing issues like Naxalism in India.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1453
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 9TH DECEMBER, 2025/ AGRAHAYANA 18, 1947
(SAKA)
SPREAD OF NAXALISM
1453. SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI:
Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the geographical spread of Naxalism has reduced to only 18
districts, if so, the details of the current spread of Naxalism in the country;
(b) the total number of casualties reported among civilians and security
personnel during the last decade;
(c) the number of arrests, surrenders and rehabilitations of the Naxalites
during the last ten years;
(d) the steps taken to strengthen security infrastructure in affected areas
and details of the development work done in these areas; and
(e) the progress of the Government’s commitment to make the country
Naxal-free by March 31, 2026 including details of the timeline for its
completion?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI NITYANAND RAI)
(a) to (e):
(i) As per Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, subjects of
Police and Public Order are with the State Governments. However, the
Government of India (GoI) has been supplementing the efforts of States
affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE). To address the LWE menace
holistically, a “National Policy and Action Plan to address LWE” was-2-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1453 FOR 09.12.2025
approved in 2015. It envisages a multi-pronged strategy involving security
related measures, development interventions, ensuring rights and
entitlements of local communities etc. The government’s focus on
development in tribal and remote areas has addressed the root cause of
Naxalism. Improved law and order and security situation, accompanied by
investment in infrastructure has created an enabling environment for
enhanced economic development including increase in public/private
investment.
(ii) On security front, the GoI assists the LWE affected State
Government by providing Central Armed Police Forces battalions and
sanctioning of India Reserve Battalions, helicopter support, strengthening
of camp infrastructure, training, funds for modernization of State police
forces, equipment & arms, sharing of intelligence, construction of
Fortified Police Stations etc.
- For capacity building of states since 2014-15, Rs.3523.48 crore have
been released to LWE affected states on operational expenditure
and training needs of Security Forces, rehabilitation of surrendered
LWE cadre, ex-gratia to families of civilians killed in LWE
violence/martyred security force personnel etc. under Security-3-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1453 FOR 09.12.2025
Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme. Works of Rs. 1757 crore have
been sanctioned to LWE affected states for strengthening of State’s
Special Forces, State Intelligence Branches (SIBs), District Police
and construction of Fortified Police Stations (FPS) under Special
Infrastructure Scheme (SIS).
- To encourage LWEs to join the mainstream, GoI and State
Governments have formulated comprehensive surrender-cum-
rehabilitation policies. The GoI also supports the States in the
endeavour through ‘Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation’ Policy as part of
Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme. The GoI reimburses
the expenditure incurred by the LWE affected States on
rehabilitation of surrenderees under the SRE Scheme. The
rehabilitation package inter-alia, includes an immediate grant of Rs.
5 lakhs for higher ranked LWE cadres and Rs 2.5 lakhs for other LWE
cadres. In addition, incentives for surrender of weapons/ammunition
are also provided under the Scheme. In addition, provision also
exists for imparting training in trade/vocation of their liking with
monthly stipend of Rs. 10,000/- for three years. The affected States
have further revised their Surrender cum Rehabilitation policies to
make them lucrative and contemporary.-4-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1453 FOR 09.12.2025
- The efforts of the States for equipping and modernizing their police
forces have been supplemented under the scheme of “Assistance to
States & UTs for Modernization of Police”. Under the scheme,
central assistance is provided to the State Governments for
weapons, equipment for Information Technology, Communication,
Training, construction of Police stations, mobility and construction
of police housing and other police infrastructure etc.
- There has been a special focus on the financial choking of LWEs and
unearthing of the nexus between CPI (Maoists) and its financial
supporters. For effective action towards choking of funds and other
resources to LWE, coordinated actions are being taken by State
Police in cooperation with Central agencies by various means.
- The GoI’s focus on security infrastructure has been pivotal. In the
last decade 656 fortified police stations have been built. In last six
years 377 new security camps have been established in core LWE
affected areas.
(iii) On development front, apart from the flagship schemes of Government
of India (GoI), several LWE affected areas specific initiatives have been
taken with special thrust on expansion of road network, improving-5-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1453 FOR 09.12.2025
telecommunication connectivity, education, skill development and
financial inclusion. A few of these are enumerated below:
- For expansion of road network, 14,978 km have been constructed
under 02 LWE specific schemes namely Road Requirement Plan
(RRP) and Road Connectivity Project for LWE Affected Areas
(RCPLWEA).
- For improving telecom connectivity in LWE affected areas 9,050
towers have been commissioned.
- For Skill Development, 46 Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and 49
Skill Development Centres (SDC) have been opened.
- For quality education in tribal areas 179 Eklavya Model Residential
Schools (EMRS) have been made functional.
- For financial inclusion, Department of Posts has opened 6,025 Post
Offices with banking services in LWE affected districts. 1804 Bank
Branches and 1321 ATMs have been opened in Most LWE affected
districts.
- For further impetus to development, funds are provided for filling
critical gaps in public infrastructure in Most LWE affected Districts
under Special Central Assistance (SCA) scheme. Till now, Rs.
3,848.49 crore have been released since the inception of Scheme in
2017.-6-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1453 FOR 09.12.2025
(iv) The resolute implementation of the National Policy and Action Plan
2015 has resulted in consistent decline in violence and constriction of
geographical spread. LWE which has been a serious challenge to the
internal security of the nation has been significantly curbed in the recent
times and has been constricted to only a few pockets. The LWE related
violence incidents have come down from high of 2010 by 89% (2010:1936,
2025:218) in 2025. Resultant deaths of civilians & Security Forces have
come down from high of 2010 by 91% (2010:1005, 2025:93) in 2025. The
number of Naxal-affected districts reduced from 126 in 2014 to 11 in 2025,
with only 3 districts now categorized as most LWE affected. However, to
restrict CPI(Maoist) to bounce back in the areas recently taken away from
LWE influence, 27 districts have been kept under the scope of SRE as
‘Legacy & Thrust Districts’.
(v) The year wise details of death of civilians, Security Forces martyred,
LWEs arrested, surrendered, rehabilitated in the country during
01.01.2014 to 01.12.2025 is given at Annexure 1.
(vi) GoI is committed for complete eradication of LWE from our country as
well as holistic development of areas getting freed from Left Wing
Extremism.
*******ANNEXURE
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1453 FOR 09.12.2025
LWE : Violence Data
Year Civilians SFs LWEs LWEs
Death martyred Arrested Surrendered
2014 222 88 1696 676
2015 171 59 1668 570
2016 213 65 1840 1442
2017 188 75 1888 685
2018 173 67 1933 644
2019 150 52 1276 440
2020 140 43 1110 475
2021 97 50 1153 736
2022 82 16 816 496
2023 106 32 924 376
2024 131 19 1090 881
2025 61 32 942 2167
(01.12.2025)
Total 1734 598 16336 9588
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