From 126 in 2018, number of LWE-hit districts now 8 : Govt | India News

1 min readNew DelhiFeb 4, 2026 04:46 AM IST

With just a month before the March 2026 deadline to wipe out Naxalism, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed Parliament on Tuesday that the number of LWE-affected districts have shrunk from 126 in 2018 to only eight as of December 2025, with three remaining the most affected.

In a related development, the MHA in a communication a few days ago is learnt to have directed the DGPs and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in these states to shift from crisis management to welfare and to appoint “development-oriented officers” as a part of a public outreach programme.

On Tuesday, MoS (Home) Nityanand Rai told Lok Sabha in a written reply that LWE violence has come down from a peak of 1,936 in 2010 to 234 last year, an 88% drop. “Civilian and security force deaths fell similarly, from 1,005 in 2010 to 100 in 2025. Security forces neutralised 364 Naxals, arrested 1,022, and secured surrenders from 2,337 in 2025 alone,” he said.

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Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is known for his impactful and breaking stories. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, Investigative Agencies, National Investigative Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Paramilitary Forces, and internal security.

Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories. He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat.

During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board. A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives. … Read More

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