Manipur rights group opposes powers to lower-ranked police officers under UAPA

📌 Summary:

• Manipur government notified implementation of Section 43A of UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967) granting lower-ranked officers power to arrest, search and seize

• Provision: Officers not below rank of Head Constable or Havildar (both civil and armed police) can now exercise powers of designated Authority in UAPA cases

• Rights body: Youth's Forum for Protection of Human Rights (YFPHR) called for immediate withdrawal, flagging two risks: (1) Creation of "climate of psychological fear" among civilians (2) "Criminalisation of unarmed and frustrated civilians" especially during ongoing ethnic protests

• Key concern: UAPA is a stringent anti-terror law with very limited bail protections; extending executive powers to lowest police ranks dramatically lowers threshold for arbitrary action

• Context: Manipur in ongoing ethnic conflict since May 2023; frequent ethnic shutdowns, protests, civilian unrest — Section 43A powers now usable at head constable level

• Normal threshold: designated officers for UAPA typically Inspector level or above; this notification lowers it to head constable

• Constitutional tension: Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty) vs national security imperatives; UAPA already curtails standard bail rights under CrPC

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 – Internal Security: UAPA, anti-terror laws, Manipur insurgency; GS2 – Polity: fundamental rights vs security legislation; GS4 – Ethics: human rights in conflict zones

📝 Prelims Facts:

• UAPA: Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967; last major amendment: 2019

• Section 43A: grants designated officers power to arrest, search and seize in terror-related cases

• Manipur notification: April 23, 2026

• YFPHR: Youth's Forum for Protection of Human Rights (Manipur civil society)

🔑 Key Term: UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) – India's primary anti-terrorism legislation; allows detention without bail for up to 180 days; Section 43A empowers designated officers to arrest and search; 2019 amendment enabled designation of individuals (not just organisations) as terrorists