The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in parts of Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh for six months starting October 1, 2026. This administrative measure aims to maintain security in designated disturbed areas, following a review of the regional law-and-order situation.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has formally extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for an additional six-month period across select regions in the Northeast, effective October 1, 2026. This move follows a security review of the law-and-order environment in Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh. The designation allows security forces to operate under special powers in regions classified as disturbed under Section 3 of the AFSPA, 1958.
Regional Implementation and Exclusions
The implementation of the Act varies by state based on the local stability assessments provided by the administration. In Manipur, while the Act remains in force across a significant portion of the state, the government has exempted the jurisdiction of 13 specific police stations. These areas, which include parts of the Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching districts, are viewed as having reached a level of stability that does not currently necessitate the application of the Act. This granular approach is designed to balance security requirements with the normalization of civil administration in specific urban and semi-urban clusters.
In Nagaland, the mandate continues in nine specific districts, including Dimapur, Mon, and Phek. Furthermore, the Act extends to 21 police station jurisdictions spanning the districts of Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, Wokha, and Zunheboto. In Arunachal Pradesh, the coverage is targeted at the districts of Tirap, Changlang, and Longding, along with specific police jurisdictions located along the border in the Namsai district. These areas are identified based on ongoing regional security challenges and the need to support civil administration with armed forces where necessary.
Economic and Business Environment
For investors and businesses operating in the Northeast, the ongoing application of AFSPA is a key indicator of the regional stability climate. Prolonged security measures can influence logistics, the movement of goods, and the pace of public infrastructure projects. Stability is often a prerequisite for private capital deployment, particularly in sectors such as tourism, infrastructure, and natural resources. Businesses with operations in these states generally account for the security environment in their risk management frameworks, as it directly impacts supply chain consistency, the safety of workforce, and the overall cost of doing business in remote, high-security zones.
Legislative Framework and Review
The AFSPA provides broad enforcement powers to security personnel to maintain order in regions where the government determines that the use of armed forces is necessary to support the civil administration. The classification of a region as a disturbed area is not permanent. It is subject to periodic reviews by both state and central governments, which evaluate the effectiveness of the measures and the ground-level security situation. The extension underscores the government's continued focus on monitoring these border and interior regions to ensure that law and order remain under control. Market participants typically observe these periodic extensions as part of the broader governance and stability assessment for the Northeastern region, tracking whether the scope of the Act is eventually reduced or expanded in future review cycles.