CURRENT AFFAIRS | APRIL 1, 2026
CLAT GK + INTERNAL SECURITY & CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
On the March 31, 2026 deadline set by Home Minister Amit Shah, 24 Maoists surrendered in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, marking the symbolic culmination of India’s decades-long campaign against Left Wing Extremism (LWE). Amit Shah declared India “Maoist-free” — a milestone built on 3,000+ mobile towers, 12,000 km of new roads, and 5,000+ schools opened in Bastar’s tribal heartland. However, top commanders Madvi Hidma, Nambala Keshuva Rao (Basavaraju), and Ganesh Uike remain at large.
UAPA 2008 (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act): Primary legislation under which CPI(Maoist) is designated a terrorist and unlawful organisation. Enables extended detention, property seizure, and stringent bail conditions. UAPA 2019 amendment added individual terrorist designation powers.
Fifth Schedule — Article 244: Governs administration of Scheduled and Tribal Areas in most Indian states. Grants the Governor special powers over these areas, including directing that central/state laws may not apply — a critical constitutional safeguard for tribal self-governance that the Maoist insurgency exploited by positioning itself as the protector of adivasi rights.
PESA Act 1996: Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act extends Panchayati Raj to Fifth Schedule areas, empowering gram sabhas with control over land, minor forest produce, and local governance — the democratic alternative to Maoist “peoples courts.”
Entry 1, List II (State List) — Schedule VII: “Public order” is a state subject. While Chhattisgarh is responsible for law and order, Article 355 obliges the Centre to protect every state against internal disturbance — the constitutional basis for deploying CRPF and COBRA units.
Article 19(1)(b): Right to assemble peaceably without arms — the constitutional boundary between legitimate protest and armed insurgency. CPI(Maoist)’s armed campaign falls entirely outside constitutional protection.
The March 31 deadline was first announced by HM Amit Shah in 2024. Security forces — primarily CRPF and its elite jungle warfare unit COBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) — conducted sustained operations across Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Sukma, and Narayanpur. In 2025 alone, 364 Naxals were neutralised, 1,022 arrested, and 2,337 surrendered. From 2015 to 2025, over 10,000 Maoists have surrendered nationally.
The development transformation was equally significant. The government’s approach shifted from pure counter-insurgency to the National Policy on LWE’s three-pillar strategy — Security (police modernisation + COBRA operations), Development (Aspirational Districts Programme: roads, towers, schools), and Rights (PESA implementation, Forest Rights Act, tribal welfare). Badesetti Panchayat in Sukma became the first officially declared Maoist-free panchayat in Chhattisgarh. Senior Maoist Papa Rao — wanted in 45 criminal cases including the 2010 Tadmetla ambush (76 security personnel killed) — also surrendered ahead of the deadline.
Amit Shah stated all state committee members of Maoist outfits in MP, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh have surrendered, while the remaining commanders in Odisha have either surrendered or been killed. Telangana was declared Naxal-free a day before the deadline. Despite the government’s declaration of total victory, security analysts note that Hidma’s continued evasion and the structural issues of tribal land rights and forest governance remain unresolved long-term factors.
LWE topics appear in CLAT passages connecting constitutional law, tribal rights law, and internal security. Key test areas:
- UAPA 2008 — unlawful organisation vs. terrorist organisation designation
- Fifth Schedule (Art. 244) vs. Sixth Schedule (Art. 244A) — key differences
- PESA 1996 — gram sabha powers, applicability only to Fifth Schedule areas
- COBRA — full form, parent force (CRPF), purpose
- Art. 355 — Centre’s duty to protect states from internal disturbance
- Three-pillar National LWE Policy — security, development, tribal rights
Likely CLAT question: “COBRA is a unit of which central paramilitary force? / PESA Act 1996 applies to which areas of India?”
| Fact | Detail |
| Deadline & Result | March 31, 2026 — India declared Maoist-free by Amit Shah |
| Bijapur Surrenders | 24 Maoists surrendered on deadline day |
| COBRA Full Form | Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (unit of CRPF) |
| Key Laws | UAPA 2008, Fifth Schedule (Art. 244), PESA 1996, Art. 355 |
| Still At Large | Madvi Hidma, Basavaraju, Ganesh Uike |
Fifth vs. Sixth Schedule — Quick Comparison:
- Fifth Schedule (Art. 244): Most states — Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, MP, Odisha, AP, Telangana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, HP. Governor’s discretion. No Autonomous Councils.
- Sixth Schedule (Art. 244A): Only Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram. Autonomous District Councils with legislative powers.
PESA 1996 applies ONLY to Fifth Schedule areas — not Sixth Schedule states.
3-Pillar LWE Policy: Security (COBRA/CRPF) + Development (roads/towers/schools) + Rights of Tribals (PESA/FRA)
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
