🛡️ Security & DefenceMAINS · GS3.17 · GS3.19

Home Ministry designates 23 more individuals as terrorists under the UAPA

Under the 'Zero Tolerance' policy against terrorism, the Ministry of Home Affairs designated 23 more individuals as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act — 17 Pakistani and 6 Indian nationals said to be operating from Pakistan and PoK.

What happened

The Ministry of Home Affairs, under Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, designated 23 more individuals as 'terrorists' under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
It was described as another step under the government's 'Zero Tolerance Policy' against terrorism.
Of the 23, 17 are Pakistani nationals and 6 are Indian nationals, reportedly operating from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Their alleged activities span terrorist attacks, arms smuggling, cross-border infiltration, aiding terror organisations, fundraising and recruitment.
The government said the designations will help dismantle the terror ecosystem by curbing the individuals' funding, movement and recruitment capabilities.

For Prelims

UAPA: The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 — India's principal anti-terror law — enables banning organisations and, since a key amendment, designating individuals as terrorists.
Individual designation: The UAPA (Amendment) Act, 2019 empowered the Centre to designate individuals (not just organisations) as terrorists, adding their names to the Fourth Schedule.
Effect of designation: It targets a person's terror ecosystem — funding, travel and recruitment — and signals intent; a designated individual can seek review/de-notification.
NIA: The National Investigation Agency is India's central counter-terror investigation agency; its powers were widened by the 2019 NIA (Amendment) Act.
PoK: Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — Indian territory under Pakistan's illegal occupation; cross-border infiltration and terror launchpads are a recurring security concern.
Terror financing: Choking fundraising is central to counter-terrorism; India works with the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) framework against money-laundering and terror finance.
Don't confuse: UAPA (anti-terror) is different from the NSA (preventive detention) and the (repealed) TADA/POTA; designating an individual is distinct from banning an organisation.

For UPSC: Use this to discuss India's counter-terror legal architecture — the UAPA, the 2019 amendment allowing individual designation, and the NIA — and the strategy of dismantling the terror ecosystem (funding, movement, recruitment). Balance security imperatives with due-process and civil-liberties debates around UAPA, and link to cross-border terrorism, PoK and the FATF/terror-financing framework.

What it is NOT: This is an administrative designation of individuals as terrorists under the UAPA, not a court conviction; designated persons can seek review/de-notification. It targets the terror ecosystem (funding, movement, recruitment) rather than being a criminal sentence.

For Mains

Syllabus: GS3.17 · GS3.19 · Linkage L2

Anchor

Counter-terrorism through legal and administrative tools — designating individuals under the UAPA to dismantle terror networks' funding, movement and recruitment.

Substantiation (data)

23 more individuals designated as terrorists under the UAPA (17 Pakistani, 6 Indian nationals) reportedly operating from Pakistan and PoK, under the 'Zero Tolerance' policy; enabled by the UAPA (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Fourth Schedule).

Exemplification

A concrete use of individual designation to target cross-border terror ecosystems — arms smuggling, infiltration, fundraising and recruitment.

Problematisation

Balancing robust counter-terror action with due process, judicial oversight and civil liberties; and the challenge of enforcement against actors based across the border.

Way-forward

Pair designations with investigation and prosecution (NIA), international cooperation on terror financing (FATF), and safeguards ensuring review and proportionality.

Position

Government stance: a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, aimed at dismantling every terror module to protect national security.

Deploys into: Internal security & counter-terrorism (GS3.17 challenges to internal security — terrorism & its linkages) · cross-border security and organised crime (GS3.19 border security & organised crime) · the UAPA and its 2019 amendment, the NIA, terror financing and the FATF framework.

Ministry of Home Affairs · 2026-07-04 · PRID 2280998 · PIB source ↗