GOI Extends AFSPA in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh

Current Context: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in select districts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for six months.

• The MHA in its notification mentioned that under Section 3 of the AFSPA 1958, areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland were declared as “disturbed areas” for a period of six months with effect from October 1, 2022.
• The AFSPA has been extended in Arunachal Pradesh in:

1. Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts
2. The areas falling within the jurisdiction of Namsai and Mahadevpur police stations in the Namsai district

• The AFSPA has been extended in Nagaland in:

1. Dimapur, Mon, Niuland, Phek, Chumoukedima, Peren, Kiphire, Noklak, and Zunheboto districts
2. Kohima North, Kohima South, Khuzama, Zubza, and Kezocha police stations in Kohima District
3. Mokokchung-I, Mangkolemba, Longtho, Longchem, Tuli, and Anaki ‘C’ police stations in Mokokchung District
4. Yanglok police station in Longleng District
5. Bhandari, Ralan, Champang, and Sungro police stations in Wokha District.

• AFSPA 1958 is an Act that grants special powers to the Armed Forces of India to maintain public order in "disturbed areas". It is fully applicable in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and partially applicable in the North-Eastern States of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Assam, and Manipur.

Question:

Q.1 Recently AFSPA was extended in the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland for?
a. 6 months
b. 9 months
c. 12 months
d. 15 months