MHA Designates Online Disinformation Network Under UAPA Section 35

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) designated an international social media network operating through proxy channels as an unlawful entity under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. The network was found orchestrating non-kinetic dis-information campaigns and inciting social discord across 14 Indian states.

The UAPA serves as India's primary anti-terror legislation, designed to prevent unlawful activities and tackle threats against national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The law was significantly amended in 2019 to empower the Central Government to designate both organizations and individuals as terrorists under the First and Fourth Schedules.

Under Section 35 of the UAPA, the notification allows enforcement agencies to freeze assets, ban propaganda dissemination, and prosecute individuals associated with the designated network. Affected parties may appeal to a High Court Judge-headed Review Committee within 45 days for de-notification.

The action highlights the evolving threat of hybrid warfare, cognitive combat, and digital radicalization targeted at domestic stability. For UPSC GS Paper III (Internal Security), this development provides a pertinent case study on cyber threats, legal mechanisms under UAPA, and proxy-led subversion.