GS Paper 3 10 marks · 150w 9 min Medium
The Government of India recently stated that Left Wing Extremism (LWE) will be eliminated by 2026. What do you understand by LWE and how are the people affected by it? What measures have been taken by the government to eliminate LWE?
Subtopic: Internal Security · Left Wing Extremism
How to structure your answer
Introduction (define LWE/Maoism, Red Corridor, 2026 target) → how people are affected → government measures: security + development (SAMADHAN) → outcomes → Conclusion
Detailed model answer
191 words · target 150 words · 9 min
Understanding LWE
Left Wing Extremism (LWE), or Naxalism/Maoism, is an armed insurgency by CPI (Maoist) cadres seeking to overthrow the state through 'protracted people's war'. Concentrated in the forested, mineral-rich tribal belt known as the Red Corridor, it exploits governance and development deficits. The government has set a target to eliminate LWE by March 2026.
How People Are Affected
- Tribals and forest dwellers are caught between Maoist coercion and security operations, suffering displacement and denial of rights.
- Extortion, 'people's courts', recruitment of youth and destruction of schools, roads and mobile towers isolate communities.
- Development stalls—health, education and livelihoods lag, deepening the very deprivation that fuels extremism.
Measures Taken by the Government
- SAMADHAN doctrine—a strategy combining leadership, aggressive operations, technology, actionable intelligence and financial choking.
- Security: deployment of CAPFs, specialised forces, fortified police stations and joint operations.
- Development: road connectivity (RCPLWEA), mobile connectivity, Aspirational Districts Programme, skill centres, Special Central Assistance and financial-inclusion drives.
- Surrender-and-rehabilitation policies to bring cadres into the mainstream.
Outcomes and Conclusion
The number of LWE-affected districts and violence has fallen sharply. Sustained 'security plus development', backed by tribal rights (PESA, Forest Rights Act), is key to a durable, humane resolution.
What an examiner expects to see
- LWE (Naxalism/Maoism) is an armed CPI(Maoist) insurgency pursuing 'protracted people's war', concentrated in the forested, tribal 'Red Corridor'.
- Government has targeted elimination of LWE by March 2026.
- Tribals/forest dwellers are worst affected — caught between Maoist coercion and operations, facing displacement and rights denial.
- Extortion, 'people's courts', youth recruitment and destruction of schools/roads/towers isolate communities and stall development.
- SAMADHAN doctrine integrates leadership, aggressive action, technology, intelligence and financial choking.
- Development thrust: road (RCPLWEA) and mobile connectivity, Aspirational Districts, skill centres, Special Central Assistance, financial inclusion.
- Surrender-and-rehabilitation plus tribal rights (PESA, Forest Rights Act) underpin durable resolution; affected districts and violence have declined sharply.
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- SAMADHAN doctrine as the core anti-LWE strategy
- Road Connectivity Project for LWE Areas (RCPLWEA) and mobile-tower projects
- Aspirational Districts Programme in LWE-affected districts
- Sharp fall in the number of LWE-affected districts over the past decade
- PESA Act, 1996 and Forest Rights Act, 2006 addressing tribal grievances
Terminology to weave into the answer
Red CorridorCPI (Maoist)SAMADHAN doctrinesecurity plus developmentsurrender-and-rehabilitationPESA / Forest Rights Act