In a revelation that has reignited debate over India’s stringent anti-terror law, the Union Home Ministry disclosed that 2,914 persons were arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) across the country in 2023 alone. Jammu & Kashmir topped the list with 1,206 arrests—over 41 percent of the national total—while Uttar Pradesh followed closely with 1,122 arrests, pushing the combined share of these two regions to nearly 80 percent of all UAPA cases registered that year. The figures, presented in response to a parliamentary question by Congress MP Shafi Parambil, highlight the continued heavy reliance on the controversial legislation in areas grappling with militancy and alleged anti-national activities.

The most striking aspect of the data is the abysmally low conviction rate accompanying these mass arrests. In Jammu & Kashmir, only 10 individuals were convicted out of 1,206 arrested, yielding a conviction rate of just 0.8 percent—one of the lowest in the country. Nationally, the conviction rate for UAPA cases in 2023 stood at a mere 4 percent, raising serious questions about the efficacy of investigations, evidence gathering, and the prolonged detention of individuals who are eventually acquitted after years in custody.

Uttar Pradesh witnessed the sharpest spike, with arrests more than doubling from 503 in 2022 to 1,122 in 2023, making it the second-highest user of the law after Jammu & Kashmir. In contrast, the Union Territory saw a marginal decline from 1,238 arrests in 2022. Delhi recorded only 22 arrests in 2023, down from 27 the previous year. Of the total arrests, 1,686 occurred across 28 states and 1,228 in seven Union Territories, with Uttar Pradesh accounting for 66 percent of state-level arrests and Jammu & Kashmir dominating 98 percent of Union Territory detentions.

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Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai reiterated the Centre’s “zero-tolerance policy” towards any activity threatening India’s sovereignty, unity, integrity, and security, emphasising that stringent action under UAPA remains a cornerstone of this approach. Over the past five years, the government has declared 23 organisations—many linked to separatist and militant movements in Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeast—as unlawful associations under the Act. The 2019 amendment, which empowered the Centre to designate individuals as terrorists without a formal trial, has further expanded the law’s reach.

The glaring gap between the high volume of arrests and the persistently low conviction rates has intensified calls for reform and greater judicial oversight of UAPA cases. Critics argue that the law’s stringent bail provisions and prolonged pre-trial detention often result in significant human rights concerns, while the latest parliamentary data underscores the continued heavy deployment of the Act in India’s most sensitive security zones.

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