Subject: GS Paper III (Internal Security) UPSC Relevance: Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
- The Shift (2014-2025): The "Red Corridor" has shrunk significantly. Affected districts reduced from 126 to 11.
- The "Triad" Strategy:
- Security: Operation Samadhan and the deployment of specialized units like COBRA and Greyhounds.
- Infrastructure: Construction of 7,000+ km of roads and 5,000+ mobile towers in the "Grey Zones" to break the physical and digital isolation of tribals.
- Financial Choking: The NIA has been used to crack down on the "levy" (extortion) system that fuels Naxal funding.
- The Final Frontier: The remaining 3 most-affected districts (Bastar, Sukma, Bijapur) are in the Abujhmad forest. The challenge here is the "Topographical Advantage" held by extremists.
- Way Forward: Post-conflict rehabilitation. The focus is shifting from "Neutralization" to "Mainstreaming" through Eklavya Schools and Skill India programs.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
