In one of the largest expansions of India’s list of designated individual terrorists since amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2019, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has declared 23 more individuals as terrorists under Section 35 of the Act.
The latest notifications include 17 Pakistani nationals and six Indian nationals, all of whom the government alleges are currently operating from Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Among the six Indians is a Bengaluru-born software professional whose alleged radicalisation and subsequent migration to Pakistan has drawn attention to the evolving methods of cross-border terror recruitment.
According to the MHA, the individuals have been linked to activities including recruitment, terror financing, arms smuggling, logistics support, drone-based weapons delivery, infiltration and planning attacks against India.
With these additions, the total number of individuals designated as terrorists under the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA has risen to 80. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the Centre’s “zero tolerance against terrorism” policy, stating that the government’s objective is to dismantle terror ecosystems by targeting not only organisations but also the individuals allegedly sustaining them.
While the government maintains that the move strengthens national security and international cooperation against terrorism, legal experts note that designated individuals retain the right to seek a review of their inclusion under the provisions of the UAPA.
Targeting Cross-Border Terror Networks
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a series of gazette notifications under Section 35 of the UAPA, formally notifying the 23 individuals as designated terrorists. According to the government, the accused have allegedly played diverse roles within cross-border terror networks, extending beyond direct participation in violent attacks.
These roles include recruitment and radicalisation of youth, arranging infiltration into India, financing terrorist operations, supplying weapons, facilitating logistics, organising safe houses, planning attacks and using drones to transport arms, explosives and narcotics across the India-Pakistan border.
The MHA further alleged that several of the newly designated individuals are associated with banned organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and their affiliated proxy groups, serving as recruiters, trainers, operational coordinators and financiers rather than frontline militants.
Among those named, the inclusion of a Bengaluru-based software professional has attracted particular attention. Security agencies allege that the individual left India several years ago before becoming associated with Pakistan-based terror infrastructure.
Officials have clarified that the designation is unrelated to the individual’s previous employment in Bengaluru, instead alleging that he later became involved in supporting proscribed terrorist organisations from outside India.
The government also stated that all six Indian nationals designated in the latest notification are currently based in Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, where they are alleged to have joined or assisted terror organisations operating against India.
Announcing the latest designations, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the government’s “zero tolerance against terrorism” policy remains unwavering and that targeting individual operatives would weaken recruitment, financing and operational capabilities of terrorist networks while enhancing coordination between investigative agencies at both national and international levels.
Expanded Legal Powers Since 2019
The latest notifications represent a significant application of powers introduced through the 2019 amendment to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Prior to the amendment, the government could declare organisations as terrorist entities but lacked the authority to designate individual persons as terrorists.
The amendment enabled the Centre to directly notify individuals under the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA if it believes they are involved in terrorism, allowing authorities to freeze assets, attach properties, restrict movement, pursue international cooperation and strengthen extradition efforts.
Importantly, designation under the UAPA is distinct from a criminal conviction, and those notified retain the legal right to seek removal of their names through the review mechanism established under the Act.
Security agencies argue that contemporary terror ecosystems have evolved considerably, relying less on identifiable organisational hierarchies and increasingly on decentralised networks operating across borders.
According to the MHA, digital platforms have become key tools for recruitment, propaganda and communication, while informal financial channels and overseas facilitators are allegedly sustaining operations through clandestine funding.
Authorities also point to the growing use of drones for delivering weapons, explosives and communication equipment into Indian territory, particularly along sensitive border regions.
Officials believe that focusing on individual facilitators rather than organisations alone helps prevent operatives from circumventing legal action by shifting allegiance to newly created proxy groups or rebranding under different organisational names.
The latest additions, the government says, reflect a broader strategy of dismantling the logistical, financial and technological infrastructure supporting terrorism rather than responding solely to individual attacks.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Protecting citizens from terrorism remains one of the foremost responsibilities of any democratic government, and effective action against individuals or organisations allegedly involved in planning or facilitating violence is undoubtedly in the public interest. At the same time, the exercise of extraordinary legal powers must continue to be accompanied by transparency, accountability and due process, particularly when designations carry far-reaching legal and diplomatic consequences without constituting criminal convictions.
As terrorist networks increasingly exploit digital platforms, cross-border financing and emerging technologies, governments face complex security challenges that demand robust intelligence, international cooperation and preventive measures. Equally important, however, is ensuring that counter-terrorism efforts do not erode constitutional safeguards or undermine public trust in legal institutions.
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