Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 2: Over the past five years, the government has designated 23 organisations, including SIMI and the Popular Front of India (PFI), as Unlawful Associations, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The first group to be banned in this period was the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), while the latest addition is the Awami Action Committee (AAC).
Rai highlighted that the list of prohibited organisations also includes PFI affiliates such as Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.
He also detailed the significant expansion and achievements of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), established after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. With a conviction rate of 92.44% in 172 judgments out of 692 registered cases, the NIA has emerged as a globally recognised investigative body. Its nationwide presence now includes 21 branch offices, two zonal offices in Guwahati and Jammu, and headquarters in Delhi, supported by 1,901 sanctioned posts, 769 of which were added in the last five years.
Specialised divisions have been created within the NIA to handle complex crimes, including the Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTD), Anti-Cyber Terrorism Division (ACTD), Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Cell, Financial Analysis Unit (FAU), and a Special Cell of legal experts. In addition, 52 NIA Special Courts have been designated across India, with three—Ranchi, Jammu, and Mumbai—handling exclusively Scheduled Offences investigated by the agency.
The NIA has also established the National Terror Data Fusion and Analysis Centre (NTDFAC) to leverage big data analytics and digitise investigative processes, enhancing efficiency, accountability, and supervision. A dedicated Foreign Investigation Request Unit (FIRU) was set up in 2024 to manage investigations involving foreign jurisdictions.
Further, the NIA has been appointed as the nodal agency at the central level for terror funding and high-quality Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) cases, with the formation of a dedicated Terror Funding and Fake Currency (TFFC) Cell to conduct focused investigations.
This comprehensive approach underscores the government’s commitment to countering unlawful organisations while strengthening India’s institutional capacity to tackle complex and cross-border criminal threats.