The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) on February 5, bestowed powers to all states and Union Territories to declare the terrorist group Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) a banned organisation under the UAPA, reports indiatvnews.com. Earlier, the central government had on January 29, 2024 extended the ban on the SIMI for five more years. In a notification, UMHA said in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 42 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the Central government directs that all powers exercisable by it under section 7 and section 8 of the said Act shall also be exercised by the state governments and the Union Territory administrations in relation to the unlawful association SIMI.10 state governments -- Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh have recommended for declaration of SIMI as an "unlawful association" under the provisions of UAPA.