Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act is a statutory framework granting extraordinary powers, immunity from prosecution, and authority to search, arrest, and use force to armed forces personnel deployed in designated disturbed areas to maintain public order.

Under Internal Security

• It occupies a critical position at the intersection of internal security management, fundamental rights, and federal center-state dynamics under Article 355.
• It highlights the institutional tension between state law enforcement capacity, prolonged military deployment for counter-insurgency operations, and human rights safeguards.
• Understanding its legislative framework and key judicial precedents is essential for evaluating governance strategies in security-sensitive border regions.

UPSC examines AFSPA primarily through the lens of internal security challenges, operational necessity versus civil liberties, and constitutional safeguards under GS Paper II and GS Paper III. Questions frequently focus on evaluating committee recommendations, such as those of the Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee, alongside Supreme Court guidelines on the conduct of security forces in civilian areas. Candidates are expected to present balanced perspectives that integrate national security imperatives with human rights protection and police modernization.

• Security forces and agencies: roles, mandates GS3