The National Security Act, 1980

The National Security Act was enacted by the Parliament of India on December 27, 1980. It empowers the central and state governments to keep a person under ‘preventive detention’ in certain cases.It states that the central and state governments may detain any person to prevent them from acting in a way that is ‘prejudicial’ to India’s defence, its relations with foreign powers, or its security. They may detain a foreigner to regulate their presence in India or make arrangements to expel them from India. The central or state government may also detain a person to prevent them from acting in a way that is ‘prejudicial’ to the security of the State, the maintenance of public order and supplies and services essential to the community.If any person does not comply with an order to be detained under this Act, they shall be imprisoned for up to one year, or be fined, or both.The Act extends to the whole of India.