One in six Indians lives under insurgency...

Here is India's spiralling crisis of governance: one in six Indians is living under insurgency. Senior Roving Editor Neelesh Misra and Associate Editor Nagendar Sharma travelled across seven of the dozen-odd states affected by militancy, for this special series. Insurgencies have become a convenient excuse for misgovernance - 170 million people in militancy-affected areas living with almost no access to functioning schools or decent roads or hospitals. And yet, as a Hindustan Times investigation reveals, more than Rs 2,700 crores in development funds meant for extremist-affected districts were not spent in the past financial year.

Here is India's spiralling crisis of governance: one in six Indians is living under insurgency, their lives shaped by militants, violence and fear.

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Senior Roving Editor Neelesh Misra and Associate Editor Nagendar Sharma travelled across seven of the dozen-odd states affected by militancy, far away from national attention.

Here is what they found: even as armed groups spread their influence across the country's sprawling triangle of rebellion - from Kashmir to Manipur to Andhra Pradesh -- insurgencies have become a convenient excuse for misgovernance. More than 170 million people in militancy-affected areas live with almost no access to functioning schools or decent roads or other development work, even as that discontent feeds into insurgencies.

And yet, as a Hindustan Times investigation reveals, more than Rs 2,700 crores in development funds meant for extremist-affected districts were not spent in the past financial year.