In a significant decision, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Friday, September 26, 2025, the extension of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for an additional six months. This controversial law will continue to be enforced in specific regions of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland.
Manipur, which has been grappling with intense ethnic violence since May 2023, sees AFSPA extended across its entire territory. However, certain areas under the jurisdiction of 13 police stations, spread across five valley districts, have been exempted from the Act’s provisions.
The Ministry’s official notification stated: “After reviewing the current law-and-order situation in Manipur, the Central Government, exercising its authority under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, declares the entire State of Manipur—excluding areas under 13 specified police stations across five districts—as a ‘disturbed area.’ This declaration is effective for six months from October 1, 2025, unless rescinded earlier.” The excluded police stations include Imphal, Lamphel, City, Singjamei, Patsoi, Wangoi, Porompat, Heingang, Irilbung, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Nambol, and Kakching.
This extension follows a previous reimposition of AFSPA on November 14, 2024, which covered six police station limits in five districts, primarily in the valley. That decision came in response to the escalating ethnic violence that began on May 3, 2023, leading to the imposition of President’s Rule in the state on February 13.
It’s worth noting that the AFSPA had been completely withdrawn from all valley police stations between April 1, 2022, and April 1, 2023, by the Manipur government, citing an improved security environment and a widespread sense of public safety. The Act’s provisions were first removed from the Imphal Municipality area in 2004. Historically, the ‘disturbed area’ notification for Manipur’s hill districts has been routinely renewed for the past three decades, with the most recent extension occurring on September 26, 2024.
For more context, consider reading about why Manipur remains largely overlooked in India’s democratic discourse, or an analysis of the Prime Minister’s visit to Manipur and his promises.
Beyond Manipur, Nagaland will also see AFSPA extended for another six months. This applies to nine districts—Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren, and Meluri—as well as 21 police station limits within five other districts: Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, Wokha, and Zunheboto, as per a separate notification.
Similarly, in Arunachal Pradesh, the districts of Tirap, Changlang, and Longding, along with areas under Namsai, Mahadevpur, and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district (which borders Assam), have been designated as ‘disturbed areas’ for another half-year.
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, enacted in 1958, grants extensive authority to the Army and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) operating in declared “disturbed areas.” These powers include the ability to use lethal force against individuals violating the law, conduct arrests and searches without warrants, and benefit from immunity from prosecution and legal actions without prior sanction from the Central government. AFSPA has been in force in Manipur since 1981, predating the state’s attainment of statehood in 1972 from its previous status as a Union Territory.