Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai. File. Photo: Sansad TV Via ANI Video Grab
More than 7,400 Maoists have been arrested, and 5,880 have surrendered since 2019, with incidents of Left Wing Extremism-perpetrated violence coming down by 88% from 1,936 in 2010 to 234 in 2025, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday (February 3, 2026).
Replying to a query, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, said that in 2025, the security forces neutralised 364 Maoists, arrested 1,022, and facilitated 2,337 surrenders.
Left Wing Extremism (LWE), which has been a serious challenge to internal security, has been significantly curbed in recent times and restricted to only a few pockets, Mr. Rai said.
“The number of LWE-affected districts reduced from 126 in 2018 to only eight in December 2025, with only three districts now remaining the most affected. The number of police stations reporting LWE-related violence has significantly reduced from 465 in 2010 to 119 in 2025,” Mr. Rai said.
The Minister also said a special focus has been laid on the financial choking of LWE activities and the unearthing of the nexus between CPI (Maoists) and its financial supporters.
“For effective action towards choking of funds and other resources to LWE, coordinated actions are being taken by the State police in coordination with the Central agencies by various means,” Mr. Rai said.
On the development front, apart from the flagship schemes of the government, several specific initiatives have been taken in the LWE-affected areas, with special thrust on expanding the road network, improving telecommunication connectivity, education, skill development, and financial inclusion, he said.
The Minister said that to improve telecom connectivity in the LWE-affected areas, 9,233 towers have been commissioned and 15,016 km of roads have been constructed under two specific schemes — the Road Requirement Plan (RRP) and the Road Connectivity Project for LWE Affected Areas (RCPLWEA).
Citing other development schemes in the affected areas, Mr. Rai said 46 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and 49 Skill Development Centres (SDCs) have been opened.
In addition, 179 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) for quality education in the tribal areas have been made functional, 6,025 post offices, 1,804 bank branches and 1,321 ATMs have been opened in most LWE-affected districts.
Published – February 03, 2026 05:01 pm IST
