naxal-affected-districts-down-to-seven-govt

The number of districts affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) has fallen to seven from eight following a fresh review by the Union government, aligning with its declared goal of ending the Naxal menace by March 2026.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a revised categorisation to Naxal-affected states with effect from 9 February after undertaking a comprehensive assessment of 38 districts across nine states, Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and West Bengal. The previous review was conducted in December 2025.

Under the updated classification, seven districts continue to be categorised as “LWE-affected districts” where incidents of Naxal violence are still reported. These are Bijapur, Narayanpur, Sukma, Kanker and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh; West Singhbhum in Jharkhand; and Kandhamal in Odisha.

The “most affected districts” remain unchanged, Bijapur, Narayanpur and Sukma, all in Chhattisgarh. Two districts, Kanker in Chhattisgarh and West Singhbhum in Jharkhand, have been placed under the “districts of concern” category, where Naxal activity is waning but focused deployment of security and development resources remains necessary.

Also read: 532 Naxals killed since Jan 2024 in Chhattisgarh, says Dy CM

The “other LWE-affected districts” category has been reduced by one district since December 2025 and now comprises Dantewada in Chhattisgarh and Kandhamal in Odisha.

The national policy regulates resource allocation under the Security-Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, dividing areas into “LWE-affected districts” and “legacy and thrust districts”. The latter category has risen to 31 districts from 30 in the previous review.

According to the Home Ministry, “legacy districts” are those no longer significantly affected by LWE but requiring continued support for security and development initiatives. “Thrust districts” are considered vulnerable to potential Naxal expansion and therefore remain under close watch.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly maintained that the Naxal menace, once termed the country’s gravest internal security challenge in 2010, will be eliminated by March 2026. He has stated that Naxal violence has claimed around 17,000 lives of civilians and security personnel.