Polity & Governance★ Must Know

MHA Designates 23 Pakistan-Based Jaish and Lashkar Operatives as Terrorists Under UAPA

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Saturday, 4 July 2026 2 min readSource: The HinduArticle 3 of 8

On 4 July 2026, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), through a series of gazette notifications, designated 23 individuals as 'terrorists' under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The 23 — based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) and linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and other outfits — are accused of infiltration, recruitment, training, financing, supply of arms via drones and planning attacks against India, particularly in Jammu & Kashmir. With these additions, the total number of individuals designated as terrorists under the UAPA rose to 80. The move is part of the government's stated zero-tolerance policy against terrorism; being individually designated allows authorities to act against a person even without banning an entire organisation.

Key Facts & Details

9 points

1
The MHA designated 23 individuals as 'terrorists' under the UAPA on 4 July 2026.
2
They are based in Pakistan/PoJK and linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
3
Charges include infiltration, recruitment, arms supply via drones and attack planning in J&K.
4
The designations were made through gazette notifications.
5
The total number of individually designated terrorists under UAPA rose to 80.
6
It reflects the government's stated zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.

Deep Dive

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A 2019 amendment to the UAPA empowered the government to designate individuals (not just organisations) as terrorists.
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Designation enables measures such as listing and asset-related action against the named individual.
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The list reportedly included operatives linked to past attacks and reconnaissance of high-profile targets.

Exam Focus

How many individuals did the MHA designate as terrorists under the UAPA in July 2026, and under which law?

Exam Relevance & Angle

Counter-terror designations and the UAPA are recurring polity/security GA facts. Examiners test the body (MHA), the law (UAPA), the count (23) and the outfits (JeM/LeT) — clean, testable hooks, plus the 2019 amendment enabling individual designation.

Target Exams

SBI POIBPS POIBPS RRB OfficerRBI Grade BSSC CGLSSC CHSLSSC CPOSSC GDRRB NTPCUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 is India's principal anti-terror law. A 2019 amendment empowered the Central Government to designate individuals (not only organisations) as 'terrorists' by notification in the Official Gazette, adding them to the Fourth Schedule. Earlier, only organisations could be banned as terrorist entities. Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are Pakistan-based, UN-proscribed terrorist organisations responsible for several attacks in India. Designation is a preventive and symbolic tool that also supports international listing and counter-financing efforts.