MHA Declares Shahzad Bhatti Network a Terrorist Organisation

The correct answer is the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, commonly written as UAPA. The Ministry of Home Affairs used this law on 16 September 2026 to declare the Shahzad Bhatti Network a terrorist organisation, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the step. Option A is wrong because the National Security Act provides for preventive detention of individuals and does not list organisations as terrorist bodies. Option C is wrong because the Prevention of Money Laundering Act deals with the proceeds of crime and the attachment of assets, not with designating organisations. Option D is wrong because the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act concerns the powers of the armed forces in areas notified as disturbed and has no bearing on such a declaration. The UAPA is the statute under which the central government maintains its schedule of terrorist organisations, so aspirants should attach this law firmly to any question about banning or listing such a group.

The correct answer is the Union Home Minister. Amit Shah, who is Union Home Minister and also Minister of Cooperation, announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs had declared the Shahzad Bhatti Network a terrorist organisation under the UAPA. Option A is wrong because the Defence Ministry deals with the armed forces and does not issue notifications under this law. Option C is wrong because the Law Ministry handles legislative drafting and legal affairs rather than the listing of terrorist organisations. Option D is wrong because the External Affairs Ministry conducts foreign relations and has no role in a domestic notification of this kind. Candidates should note that the designation power under the UAPA rests with the central government and is exercised through the Ministry of Home Affairs, which makes the Home Minister the natural announcing authority in every such case.

The correct answer is counterfeiting of Indian currency notes. That charge was not part of the grounds cited when the Ministry of Home Affairs declared the network a terrorist organisation, which is what makes it the odd one out in this list. Option A is wrong as an answer because cross-border smuggling of arms and explosives was expressly cited, along with narcotics. Option C is wrong because the government stated that the group drew young people and petty criminals into terrorism, which was one of the principal reasons given for the action. Option D is wrong because the syndicate was also accused of publishing hateful digital content that targeted the democratic structure of the country and the fabric of communal harmony. Reading the grounds carefully matters, because negative questions of this type are common in examinations.