Overview

• Official reclassification leaves Bijapur, Sukma and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh as the only districts still tagged “most-affected.”
• The tally of LWE-affected districts stands at 11, reduced from 18 earlier this year, with Gadchiroli, West Singhbhum and Kanker removed from the top tier.
• The ministry reports 312 cadres killed this year, including the CPI (Maoist) general secretary and eight politburo or central committee figures, along with 836 arrests and 1,639 surrenders.
• Recent mass defections include 27 in Sukma and 61 in Maharashtra, the latter reportedly including central committee member Mallojula Venugopal Rao, known as Bhupati.
• The government reiterates a March 31, 2026 deadline to end the insurgency under the National Action Plan featuring intelligence-led operations, area dominance, development measures, financial disruption and tighter Centre–state coordination.