Inner Line Permit (ILP)

In August, 2024, the Nagaland state government has approved the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Chumoukedima, Niuland, and Dimapur districts.

Key Points

Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document issued by the Government of India to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.
It is obligatory for Indian citizens from outside those states to obtain a permit for entering into the protected state.
The document is an effort by the government to regulate movement to certain areas located near the international border of India.
This is an offshoot of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, which protected Crown’s interest in the tea, oil and elephant trade by prohibiting “British subjects” from entering into these “Protected Areas” (to prevent them from establishing any commercial venture that could rival the Crown’s agents).
The word “British subjects” was replaced by Citizen of India in 1950. Despite the fact that the ILP was originally created by the British to safeguard their commercial interests, it continues to be used in India, officially to protect tribal cultures in northeastern India.
There are different kinds of ILP’s, one for tourists and others for people who intend to stay for long-term periods, often for employment purposes.
ILP’s valid for tourism purposes are granted as a matter of routine.