Government Reports Significant Decline in Left-Wing Extremism Activities

Recent Developments in Left-Wing Extremism

On Tuesday, the Union government informed Parliament that in 2025, 335 individuals identified as 'Left-wing extremists' were killed, while 2,167 others surrendered. Additionally, 942 extremists were apprehended this year, as stated by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai during a Lok Sabha session.

Since 2014, a total of 1,841 extremists have been killed, over 16,000 arrested, and 9,588 surrendered. Rai responded to inquiries from Bharatiya Janata Party MPs Darshan Singh Choudhary, Haribhai Patel, and Mahesh Kashyap.

The minister highlighted that from 2014-’15, the government allocated Rs 3,523.4 crore for initiatives targeting Left-wing extremism. These funds were designated for training security personnel, rehabilitating surrendered individuals, and providing compensation to families affected by extremist violence.

The Union government has committed to eradicating Maoism by March 31, 2026. In October, the home ministry reported a reduction in districts impacted by Left-wing extremism, decreasing from 18 to 11 since March.

In 2025, the number of districts classified as 'most affected' dropped from six to three, specifically Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh.

This year, during the Centre's anti-Maoist operations, significant leaders such as Madvi Hidma were killed, while others like Vikas Nagpure alias Anant and Mallojula Venugopal Rao, alias Bhupathi, surrendered.

A report by Malini Subramaniam regarding Hidma’s death indicated that no gunfire was heard in the nearby Andhra Pradesh village. Previously, she reported that many individuals killed in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region in 2024 were labeled as reward-carrying Maoists by police, a claim disputed by several families who assert that those killed were civilians.

Civil liberties organizations and opposition parties have raised concerns about some of these fatalities, alleging they may represent 'fake encounters'.