UPSC GS Paper III: Internal Security, Terrorism, LWE, Naxalism, NE Insurgency, JK Militancy

Must?Know

• Maoist insurgency originated from 1967 Naxalbari uprising in West Bengal led by Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal, inspired by Chinese revolutionary model.
• People’s War Group (PWG), founded in 1980 in Andhra Pradesh by Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, merged with Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) in 2004 to form CPI (Maoist).
• LWE-affected states currently (2023) include Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam; classified into three tiers by MHA.
• Salwa Judum, a state-sponsored anti-Naxal militia launched in 2005 in Dantewada (Chhattisgarh), was declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court in Stanley v. State of MP (2011).
• Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958, applies to "disturbed areas" declared under Section 3 of the Act; currently operational in parts of Jammu & Kashmir and Northeastern states.
• AFSPA grants immunity to armed forces personnel for acts done in discharge of duty; challenged under Article 21, but upheld in Naga People’s Movement of Human Rights v. Union of India (1998).
• Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990, mirrors AFSPA 1958 but specific to J&K; partially revoked in 2019 after Article 370 abrogation.
• Operation Green Hunt (2009) was a coordinated paramilitary offensive against LWE zones across central and eastern India.
• Greyhounds, the elite anti-Naxal commando force, was raised by Andhra Pradesh in 1989; now replicated in Chhattisgarh (COBRA) and other LWE-affected states.
• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is the primary central force deployed against LWE; its CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) unit specializes in jungle warfare.
• National Investigation Agency (NIA), established under NIA Act 2008, investigates terror cases across state boundaries; designated as central counter-terrorism law enforcement agency.
• Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, amended in 2019 to allow central government to designate individuals as terrorists; challenged in S.G. Vombatkere v. Union of India (2022).
• Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), 2002, was repealed in 2004 due to misuse; replaced by strengthened UAPA.
• National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), an ethno-nationalist insurgent group in Tripura, signed peace accord in 2024 with Government of India.
• United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), founded in 1979 by Bhimakanta Buragohain, Paresh Baruah, and others, sought sovereign Assam; split into pro-talks and anti-talks factions.
• Operation All Out (2017) launched by J&K Police and CAPFs to eliminate militants in Kashmir Valley; intensified after 2016 Burhan Wani killing.
• Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest indigenous militant group in J&K, was founded in 1989 by Mohammad Yasin Malik; designated as terrorist organization under UAPA.
• Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), founded by Masood Azhar in 2000, responsible for 2001 Parliament attack and 2019 Pulwama attack; headquartered in Pakistan.
• Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), founded by Hafiz Saeed in 1987, executed 2008 Mumbai attacks; operates under front organization Jamaat-ud-Dawa.
• Operation Rhino (2001) by Assam Police and central forces dismantled ULFA’s fortified camps in Upper Assam.
• Inner Line Permit (ILP) system, under Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, regulates entry into Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Manipur to protect tribal identity.
• Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force under Ministry of Home Affairs but commanded by Indian Army officers, operates in Nagaland and Manipur under AFSPA.
• Shillong Accord (1975) led to surrender of Naga National Council (NNC) leaders; rejected by Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah, who formed NSCN (IM) in 1980.
• NSCN (IM), led by Thuingaleng Muivah, signed Framework Agreement with Government of India in 2015; final settlement pending.
• Operation Sadbhavana, run by Indian Army in J&K, focuses on civil-military operations including education, medical camps, and infrastructure development.

Difficulty Level

Hard – due to overlapping legal frameworks, evolving insurgent dynamics, and frequent policy shifts requiring updated factual knowledge.

Common UPSC Traps

Trap: AFSPA is applicable only in Northeast India – Fact: AFSPA applies in both Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir; Armed Forces (J&K) Special Powers Act, 1990, is a separate but similar law, per Ministry of Home Affairs notifications.
Trap: UAPA allows preventive detention without trial indefinitely – Fact: UAPA permits detention up to 180 days without formal charges, subject to review, under Section 43D(5); not indefinite, as clarified in Human Rights Law Network v. Union of India (2011).
Trap: Naxalism is primarily a religious conflict – Fact: LWE is a left-wing extremist movement rooted in socio-economic grievances like land rights and forest displacement, as per Bhima Koregaon incident analysis and MHA annual reports.
Trap: All insurgent groups in Northeast are secessionist – Fact: Some groups like NSCN (IM) seek greater autonomy within Indian Constitution, not secession, as stated in 2015 Framework Agreement.
Trap: Operation All Out was launched by Indian Army – Fact: Operation All Out (2017) was led by J&K Police with CAPFs, not Indian Army, to maintain civilian law enforcement character, per MHA press release.

Practice MCQs

Question: Which of the following pairs is correctly matched regarding insurgency groups and their regions of operation?
A) NSCN (IM) – Manipur
B) ULFA – Nagaland
C) NLFT – Assam
D) Hizbul Mujahideen – Punjab
Answer: A
Explanation: NSCN (IM) operates primarily in Nagaland and Manipur; its leadership includes Manipuri and Naga cadres.
Why others fail: B is tempting because ULFA is in Northeast, but it is specific to Assam, not Nagaland.

Question: The Salwa Judum was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in which case?
A) PUCL v. Union of India (2003)
B) Nandini Sundar v. State of Chhattisgarh (2011)
C) Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation (1985)
D) Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997)
Answer: B
Explanation: In Nandini Sundar v. State of Chhattisgarh (2011), SC ruled Salwa Judum violated constitutional rights and Article 21.
Why others fail: A deals with right to food and governance, often confused due to similar acronym (PUCL).

Question: Which Act empowers the central government to designate individuals as terrorists?
A) Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), 2002
B) National Security Act (NSA), 1980
C) Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967
D) Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958
Answer: C
Explanation: 2019 amendment to UAPA introduced Section 35, enabling individual terrorist designation.
Why others fail: A (POTA) allowed such provisions but was repealed in 2004; hence not currently valid.

Question: The Inner Line Permit (ILP) system is derived from which colonial regulation?
A) Government of India Act, 1935
B) Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873
C) Indian Forest Act, 1927
D) Assam Frontier Tracts Rules, 1913
Answer: B
Explanation: ILP is operational under Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, currently applied in four Northeastern states.
Why others fail: D sounds plausible due to regional specificity, but is not the legal source of ILP.

Question: Which of the following statements about Operation Green Hunt is correct?
A) It was a military operation conducted solely by the Indian Army.
B) It was launched in response to the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
C) It was a coordinated anti-Maoist operation involving multiple states and CAPFs.
D) It was initiated by the Ministry of Defence in 2006.
Answer: C
Explanation: Operation Green Hunt (2009) was a multi-state anti-LWE initiative led by MHA with CRPF and state police.
Why others fail: A is tempting due to military-like operations, but Indian Army is not deployed in internal law and order roles.

Question: The Framework Agreement related to peace talks with NSCN (IM) was signed in which year?
A) 2001
B) 2013
C) 2015
D) 2018
Answer: C
Explanation: Government of India signed Framework Agreement with NSCN (IM) on August 3, 2015, for Naga peace process.
Why others fail: B (2013) saw ceasefire extension, often mistaken for final agreement.

Question: Which of the following is NOT a provision under AFSPA, 1958?
A) Power to arrest without warrant
B) Power to shoot to kill based on suspicion
C) Immunity from prosecution without prior central government sanction
D) Power to conduct searches without warrant
Answer: B
Explanation: AFSPA allows use of force only when "motive is to maintain public order", not mere suspicion; shooting to kill requires reasonable belief of threat, per Naga People’s Movement case.
Why others fail: B is often assumed correct due to perception of AFSPA as draconian, but not legally accurate.

Last?Minute Revision

• 1967: Naxalbari uprising marks origin of LWE movement.
• 1975: Shillong Accord signed with NNC.
• 1980: ULFA founded in Assam.
• 1989: Hizbul Mujahideen formed in J&K.
• 1990: Armed Forces (J&K) Special Powers Act enacted.
• 2001: Parliament attack attributed to JeM and LeT.
• 2004: CPI (Maoist) formed by merger of PWG and MCC.
• 2008: Mumbai attacks executed by LeT.
• 2009: Operation Green Hunt launched.
• 2011: SC bans Salwa Judum in Nandini Sundar case.
• 2015: Framework Agreement signed with NSCN (IM).
• 2017: Operation All Out launched in Kashmir.
• 2019: UAPA amended to allow individual terrorist designation.
• 2024: NLFT signs peace accord with GoI.
• AFSPA requires Governor or Central Government to declare "disturbed area" under Section 3.
• CRPF is the largest CAPF deployed in LWE zones.
• Assam Rifles is under MHA but commanded by Army officers.
• ILP applies to Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Manipur.
• NIA was established under NIA Act, 2008.
• Operation Rhino targeted ULFA camps in Assam (2001).
• Maneka Gandhi case (1978) expanded Article 21 but not directly linked to AFSPA.
• Greyhounds originated in Andhra Pradesh.
• COBRA is a specialized unit of CRPF.
• Stanley v. State of MP (2011) dealt with Salwa Judum.
• Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) was repealed in 2004.
• NSCN (IM) ceasefire with GoI since 1997.