New Delhi: From assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, where voter turnout hit a multi-decade high, to notification of rules for granting citizenship to immigrants, and three new laws on criminal justice coming into force, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) hailed 2024 as a “year of historic reforms”.
Another highlight for the ministry was its successful operations against Left-wing extremism, with security forces eliminating 287 Naxalites and arresting 992 Maoist cadres, the home ministry said in a year-end statement released Monday.
“The year 2024 was a year of historic reforms initiated by the Union Home Ministry to ensure ‘ease of justice for all’ and to build a secure Bharat as envisioned by PM Shri Narendra Modi ji,” the ministry said in the statement.
“The ministry made several game-changing decisions, making way for epoch-making reforms and unprecedented achievements in securing citizens’ rights enshrined in the Constitution of India,” it added.
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Elections in J&K
The Election Commission of India (ECI) oversaw the conduct of the first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after 2014, five years after the abrogation of Article 370.
The MHA, which is responsible for the security situation in the Union Territory, provided security to the poll body and officials for the Lok Sabha elections and assembly elections in the J&K. Voter turnout reached a 35-year-high of 58.46 percent for the Lok Sabha election while the voting percentage hit 63.88 percent in the assembly polls that followed.
Granting citizenship through CAA
On 11 March, the ministry framed the rules for granting citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
A few months later in May, the MHA granted citizenship certificates to the first batch of eligible immigrants in the national capital.
Implementation of three criminal laws
The ministry notified implementation of three new criminal laws—Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam—which came into force on 1 July.
These laws were passed by Parliament in December last year and Union Territories such as Chandigarh and states such as Haryana and Uttarakhand have taken steps for the full implementation of the laws, the ministry said in the statement.
Also Read: Training people & themselves — how Delhi Police are adjusting to new criminal laws
Fight against Left-wing extremism
The year 2024 proved to be a year of “exemplary success” for security forces fighting Left-wing extremism with the elimination of 287 Maoist cadres and the arrest of nearly 1,000, the MHA said.
Casualties among civilians and security forces dwindled below 100 for the first time in four decades, it added. Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired four review meetings on Left-wing extremism and vowed to end the presence of LWE groups in India by 31 March, 2026.
First Mahila battalion of CISF
In November, MHA approved formation of the first all-women battalion of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) set up for specific roles, including commando duties for VIP security as well as airport and Delhi Metro protection.
The CISF has also started preparations for early recruitment, training and selection of locations for the headquarters of the new battalion, the MHA said.
‘Golden period for Northeast’
While ethnic clashes in Manipur refused to abate more than 20 months after they started, the MHA continued signing accords with several groups such as the Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA Motha). In addition, a Memorandum of Settlement was signed with violent groups such as the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) this year.
After signing the agreement, MHA had said that NLFT and ATTF had agreed to give up on violence, lay down all their arms and ammunition, and disband their armed organisations.
The ministry further emphasised the suspension of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar, which allowed tribal people to travel up to 16 kilometres on either side of the border without a visa.
Shah had in February announced that the Ministry of External Affairs was “in the process of scrapping” the agreement brought in as part of India’s Act East Policy in 2018 and the MHA had recommended the immediate suspension of the FMR. “The 10 years of the Modi government will be considered a golden period for the Northeast,” the statement said.
Ladakh’s governance
The MHA had in August announced the creation of five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh for better governance. Until then, Ladakh had two districts: Leh and Kargil.
The move came amid protests by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), who demanded statehood, inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, local employment opportunities, and a Rajya Sabha seat and Lok Sabha seat each for the two regions.
Hundreds of protesters led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk reached Delhi and sat on a fast-until-death protest.
The MHA and protesting bodies such as the LAB are still talking about the demands raised by these bodies.
Crackdown on drugs-terror nexus
The MHA listed various operations carried out throughout the year against drug cartels and said that enforcement agencies destroyed 1,17,284 kg of narcotics in 2024.
It listed the seizure of a consignment of 3,132 kg of drugs by a joint team of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the Navy and Gujarat Police. The ministry also emphasised the seizure of over 700 kg of contraband methamphetamine in Gujarat this year.
Additionally, the ministry highlighted that 4,134 kg of narcotics were recovered from the deep seas.
Strengthening forensic infra
In June, the Union Cabinet approved a financial outlay of Rs 2,254.43 crore for the next four years to upgrade forensic infrastructure in the country, especially keeping in mind the increased scope after the implementation of the three new criminal laws.
The key areas for the financial outlay include the establishment of campuses for the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) and Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), and the enhancement of the NFSU’s Delhi campus infrastructure.
Taking cognizance of the increasing threats of cyber fraud, especially “digital arrests”, the MHA announced the introduction of 5,000 “Cyber Commandos” in police forces and Central Police Organizations (CPOs) to deal with cybersecurity threats in the country.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)