On October 15, 2025, Naxalite M Venugopal Rao, also known as Bhupathi, surrendered along with 60 other Naxals in Gadchiroli district. Bhupathi carried a bounty of Rs 6 crore. A day later, 170 Naxalites laid down their arms.

Overall, in October 2025, India’s security forces continued an aggressive campaign against Naxal-Maoist insurgents, primarily in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. Operations like Black Forest, aka “Kagar" have intensified, focusing on intelligence-driven strikes, surrenders and rehabilitation. In 2025 alone, till date, over 290 Naxals have been neutralised, over 1,090 arrested and over 900 surrendered nationwide. The “Red Corridor" has shrunk to less than 12 affected districts, with activity concentrated in Bastar and Abujhmad regions.

For context, May 2025’s Operation Black Forest killed 31 Naxals in Karreguttalu Hills, including Nambala Keshav Rao, aka Basavaraju, with a Rs 1.5 crore bounty. Over 10,000 Naxals have surrendered since 2015, with over 881 in 2024 alone and more than 900 in 2025. The Narendra Modi government’s decision to rid India of Naxalism by March 31, 2026, as pledged by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, shows that the broader focus clearly remains on sustaining development, building trust and ensuring that the benefits of progress reach the most marginalised sections of society.

It is a matter of immense pleasure that Abujhmarh and North Bastar in Chhattisgarh that were once terror bases, have today been declared as free from Naxal terror.Now a trace of Naxalism exists in South Bastar, which will be wiped out soon by our security forces.

Since January…

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 16, 2025

The war against Naxal terror is not just about defeating an armed insurgency; it is about securing India’s heartland and creating a future where every citizen can thrive. Under the astute leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has seen a significant reduction in Naxal-affected districts as part of a concerted effort to combat Left-Wing Extremism (LWE). The number of districts affected by Naxalite violence decreased from 126 in 2013 to barely a handful across seven states by 2024.

Since assuming office in 2014, PM Modi has prioritised tackling the long-standing challenge of Naxal terrorism, a Left-wing extremist insurgency that has plagued India’s hinterlands for decades. Rooted in socio-economic disparities and ideological extremism, Naxalism posed a significant threat to internal security. Naxalism, inspired by Maoist ideology, emerged in the late 1960s in Naxalbari, West Bengal, as a violent movement advocating for the rights of marginalised communities. Over the decades, it however, morphed into a dangerous insurgency, spreading across states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Bihar—often referred to as the ‘Red Corridor’.

PM Modi’s approach in combating Naxalism has been novel and nuanced, never losing sight of the bigger picture. Security forces were equipped with advanced weaponry, surveillance drones and satellite imagery to navigate the dense forests of the Red........

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