Representative image (IANS) NEW DELHI: The year gone by witnessed the neutralisation of 364 Naxals by the security forces, even as 1,022 Maoists were arrested and 2,337 opted for surrender, the home ministry informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.Replying to separate questions on the status of Left-wing extremism (LWE) in the country, junior home minister Nityanand Rai shared that the total districts that reported incidents of Maoist violence fell to 32 in 2025 from 61 in 2019, while the total number of police stations witnessing such incidents declined to 119 from 245 over the same period.He said LWE incidents showed 88% dip from a high of 1,936 in 2010 to 234 in 2025, while civilians and security personnel’s deaths in LWE incidents nosedived to 100 in 2025, which is one-tenth of those recorded in 2010.As per records accessed by TOI, the past one year saw the neutralisation of a dozen Maoists, including their No. 1 Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju. Apart from Basavaraju, who was a politburo (PB) and central committee (CC) member, 11 other CC members were killed in 2025 and early 2026. Another five CC members, including Mallojula Venugopal alias Sonu who was also in PB, surrendered and joined the mainstream last year. As of now, only 1 PB/CC member and three CC members are alive/active — Thippiri Tirupathi @ Devji, the current No. 1; Muppalla Laxman Rao @ Ganpathi; Misir Besra; and Malla Raji Reddy @ Sangram. Sources told TOI that Ganpathi and Sangram, both in their late Seventies, have not been active in the recent past.Since 2019, thanks to the upgraded incentives for surrenders by Maoists, as many as 5,880 Maoists, of which 40% (2,337) were in 2025 alone, have eschewed the path of violence and laid down arms. Another 7,409 Maoists have been arrested since 2019. In fact, between Jan 1 and 15 this year, 18 Naxals were arrested and 139 had surrendered.Currently, only 8 districts across three states are categorised as LWE-hit, down from 126 in 2018.The Centre, which has declared a March 31, 2026 deadline to uproot Naxalism from the country, informed the LS that it has released Rs 3,682 crore to LWE-hit states for operational expenditure and training needs of counter-Naxal security personnel, rehabilitation of surrendered LWE cadres and ex-gratia to families of forces and civilians killed in LWE violence. Another Rs 1,761 was sanctioned to LWE states for strengthening their special forces, intelligence units and police stations. Central agencies have been provided Rs 1,224 crore since 2014-15 for setting up security camps in Maoist-infested areas and provisioning helicopters for counter-LWE operations, said Rai.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’India-US Trade Deal Removes Competitive Disadvantage’: Former Indian Envoy To WashingtonIndia-US Trade Deal: Trump Says India Won’t Buy Russian Oil; Rahul Gandhi Accuses PM of Selling Out’Symbol Of Negativity’: Goyal Rains Fire On Rahul Gandhi After US-India Trade Deal, Parl RuckusIndia-US Trade Deal: Moscow Contradicts Trump’s Claim On New Delhi ‘Stopping’ Russian Oil Imports’Called Me Yaar, Threw Papers’: TDP MP Tenneti Slams Eight Suspended Lok Sabha MPs’Dairy, Agriculture Protected’: Piyush Goyal Outlines ‘Historic’ US-India Trade Deal, Lauds PM ModiBudget 2026: Defence Expert Flags Committed Liabilities, Calls For Battlefield TransparencyPak Defence Minister Khawaja Asif Admits Terror Rooted In Corruption, Vindicates India In ParliamentGold, Silver Under Pressure After Peaks: Should You Invest And Hold Precious Metals Or Sell Off?India Moves To Secure Chicken’s Neck As Underground Rail Project Targets Strategic Vulnerabilities123PhotostoriesHow vintage furniture shapes modern comfort10 most mispronounced food words and their correct pronunciation5 unique wildlife species found in the Indian HimalayasBaby names inspired by music and art9 nature-inspired baby girl names that mean ‘new beginning’How to make dhaba-style dal makhani at homeThere are only 6 countries whose names begin with the letter ‘U’Archana Puran Singh and Parmeet Sethi’s love story: From a ‘fling’ to three decades of togethernessA look into Yuvika Chaudhary and Prince Narula’s parenthood journeyFrom prehistoric sharks to unusual flowers: What’s inside the world’s largest cave123Hot PicksBudget 2026Gold Silver PricesCigarette Prices HikeIndia US TradeIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingArtemi PanarinMLB Trade RumorsAyesha CurryKayla NicoleNHL Injury UpdatePuka NacuaRussell WilsonDenver Nuggets vs Detroit PistonsNikola JokicGold Riyadh Players Ranking
NEW DELHI: The year gone by witnessed the neutralisation of 364 Naxals by the security forces, even as 1,022 Maoists were arrested and 2,337 opted for surrender, the home ministry informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.Replying to separate questions on the status of Left-wing extremism (LWE) in the country, junior home minister Nityanand Rai shared that the total districts that reported incidents of Maoist violence fell to 32 in 2025 from 61 in 2019, while the total number of police stations witnessing such incidents declined to 119 from 245 over the same period.He said LWE incidents showed 88% dip from a high of 1,936 in 2010 to 234 in 2025, while civilians and security personnel’s deaths in LWE incidents nosedived to 100 in 2025, which is one-tenth of those recorded in 2010.As per records accessed by TOI, the past one year saw the neutralisation of a dozen Maoists, including their No. 1 Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju. Apart from Basavaraju, who was a politburo (PB) and central committee (CC) member, 11 other CC members were killed in 2025 and early 2026. Another five CC members, including Mallojula Venugopal alias Sonu who was also in PB, surrendered and joined the mainstream last year. As of now, only 1 PB/CC member and three CC members are alive/active — Thippiri Tirupathi @ Devji, the current No. 1; Muppalla Laxman Rao @ Ganpathi; Misir Besra; and Malla Raji Reddy @ Sangram. Sources told TOI that Ganpathi and Sangram, both in their late Seventies, have not been active in the recent past.Since 2019, thanks to the upgraded incentives for surrenders by Maoists, as many as 5,880 Maoists, of which 40% (2,337) were in 2025 alone, have eschewed the path of violence and laid down arms. Another 7,409 Maoists have been arrested since 2019. In fact, between Jan 1 and 15 this year, 18 Naxals were arrested and 139 had surrendered.Currently, only 8 districts across three states are categorised as LWE-hit, down from 126 in 2018.The Centre, which has declared a March 31, 2026 deadline to uproot Naxalism from the country, informed the LS that it has released Rs 3,682 crore to LWE-hit states for operational expenditure and training needs of counter-Naxal security personnel, rehabilitation of surrendered LWE cadres and ex-gratia to families of forces and civilians killed in LWE violence. Another Rs 1,761 was sanctioned to LWE states for strengthening their special forces, intelligence units and police stations. Central agencies have been provided Rs 1,224 crore since 2014-15 for setting up security camps in Maoist-infested areas and provisioning helicopters for counter-LWE operations, said Rai.
