# Explained: Why Nagaland wants the Protected Area Permit regime scrapped before Hornbill

URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-11-04/nagaland-pap-scrap-demand-explained/
Date: 4 November 2026 (2026-11-04)
Source: Indian Express, Page 15
UPSC papers: GS3, GS2
Publisher: upsc.help (Pratidin), free and open-source UPSC Civil Services current affairs. Not affiliated with UPSC. Every fact was checked against the source reports by a separate review before publishing.

**In one line:** Nagaland is pressing the Centre to permanently withdraw the Protected Area Permit for foreigners, reimposed in December 2024, before the Hornbill Festival opens on 1 December 2026.

With the Hornbill Festival due to open on 1 December 2026, the Nagaland government is pressing the Centre to fully withdraw the Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime. The PAP is a permit that foreign nationals need, in addition to a visa, to enter notified areas between the Inner Line and the international border. It is issued under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, made under the Foreigners Act, 1946. Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland fall wholly under this regime. In 2011 the Centre lifted the PAP requirement for Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram to boost tourism. In December 2024 the Ministry of Home Affairs reimposed it in all three States, citing security concerns over the influx of foreigners from neighbouring countries.

Nagaland discussed the issue in its Assembly in September 2026. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio then met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to seek its permanent abolition, and Tourism Minister Temjen Imna Along said in late October that Shah had promised to examine it. Along said "security and national interests remained paramount" but argued the State can manage foreign visitors, that tourism is "no longer confined to the annual Hornbill Festival", and that lifting the PAP would bring investment and jobs for educated unemployed youth. He said the PAP and border security are separate matters. State leaders say foreign tourists plan months ahead and are put off by slow paperwork, rules against solo travel and uncertain festival exemptions.

The PAP should not be confused with the Inner Line Permit (ILP). The ILP, rooted in the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, applies to Indian citizens from other States and is issued by the State government to protect tribal land and culture. It is in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur, and is not part of the current demand. The Hornbill Festival, first held in 2000, runs from 1 to 10 December at Kisama Heritage Village near Kohima; 2026 is its 27th edition. Because entry of foreigners is a Union matter, the decision rests with the Ministry of Home Affairs.

## Prelims facts

- The Protected Area Permit for foreigners is issued under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, made under the Foreigners Act, 1946.
- The PAP was lifted for Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram in 2011 and reimposed by the MHA in December 2024 over security concerns.
- Nagaland seeks permanent withdrawal before the 27th Hornbill Festival, which runs from 1 to 10 December at Kisama near Kohima.
- The Inner Line Permit, rooted in the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, applies to Indian citizens, not foreigners.
- The ILP is in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur (added in December 2019).

## Quick recall

- **Under which order is the Protected Area Permit issued?** The Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, made under the Foreigners Act, 1946.
- **Which four States fall wholly under the protected area regime?** Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland.
- **When was the PAP lifted and reimposed in Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram?** Lifted in 2011; reimposed by the MHA in December 2024.
- **Which regulation is the source of the Inner Line?** The Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.
- **Which States have the Inner Line Permit system?** Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur (added in December 2019).
- **Dates and venue of the Hornbill Festival?** 1 to 10 December, Kisama Heritage Village near Kohima; first held in 2000.
- **Which permit do foreigners need for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?** A Restricted Area Permit.
- **Who is Nagaland's Tourism Minister quoted on the PAP demand?** Temjen Imna Along.

## Prelims practice question

With reference to the Protected Area Permit (PAP) and the Inner Line Permit (ILP), consider the following statements:
1. The PAP is required by foreign nationals, while the ILP is required by Indian citizens from other States.
2. The ILP has its origin in the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.
3. The PAP is issued under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only. Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: the PAP is issued under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958; the 1873 Regulation is the source of the Inner Line.

## UPSC previous-year questions this connects to

- UPSC Mains 2019, GS3: Cross-border movement of insurgents is only one of the several security challenges facing the policing of the border in North-East India. Examine the various challenges currently emanating across the India-Myanmar border. Also, discuss the steps to counter the challenges. (https://upsc.help/pyq/q281-cross-border-movement-insurgents-only-one-several-security/)
  How to use this story in the answer: Use the PAP as an example of a regulatory tool for border management, and of the trade-off it creates with development.
- UPSC Mains 2025, GS3: What are the major challenges to internal security and peace process in the North-Eastern States? Map the various peace accords and agreements initiated by the government in the past decade. (https://upsc.help/pyq/q280-major-challenges-internal-security-peace-process-north-eastern/)
- UPSC Mains 2017, GS3: The North-Eastern region of India has been infested with insurgency for a very long time. Analyze the major reasons for the survival of armed insurgency in this region. (https://upsc.help/pyq/q282-north-eastern-region-india-has-infested-insurgency-very/)

## Mains practice question

Nagaland has sought the withdrawal of the Protected Area Permit regime reimposed in 2024. How should the Centre balance border security with tourism-led development in the North East? (150 words)

### Model answer

The Protected Area Permit (PAP), issued under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, was lifted for Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram in 2011 and reimposed in December 2024. Nagaland now wants it withdrawn.

## Case for withdrawal
- **Tourism:** paperwork and uncertainty deter foreign visitors, especially for the Hornbill Festival (1 to 10 December).
- **Jobs and investment:** the State says tourism can employ educated unemployed youth.
- **Separate issues:** the State argues the PAP and border security are separate matters.

## Case for caution
- **Security:** the 2024 reimposition cited the influx of foreigners from neighbouring countries.
- **Regional context:** ethnic violence in Manipur since May 2023 and security concerns along the Myanmar border.

## Balance
- Lift the PAP for Nagaland alone, or for festival periods, with online, time-bound clearance.
- Keep checks for specific nationalities and sensitive border belts.
- Leave the Inner Line Permit, which protects tribal communities, untouched.

Calibrated, area-specific rules can secure the border without closing the North East to the world.

## The basics

## Why this matters
Foreign tourists who want to visit Nagaland need a special permit on top of their visa. The Centre relaxed this rule for Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram in 2011, then brought it back in December 2024 over security concerns. Ahead of the 27th Hornbill Festival in December 2026, Nagaland wants it lifted for good. This is a clean test of the balance between border security, tourism and the North East's development.

## The legal frame
The Protected Area Permit (PAP) is issued under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, made under the Foreigners Act, 1946. An Indian citizen from another State does not need a PAP; he or she needs an Inner Line Permit, a different permit.

## Where it applies
The whole of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland fall under the protected area regime, with parts of Sikkim under protected and restricted area rules. Parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand are also protected areas. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands need a Restricted Area Permit instead.

## The two sides
Nagaland argues that after years of open access, the permit deters foreign tourists, who plan months ahead, and investors, while the State is peaceful. Its Tourism Minister Temjen Imna Along says "security and national interests remained paramount" but the State can manage visitors. The Centre's reason for reimposition in 2024 was the security situation, linked to the influx of foreigners from neighbouring countries.

## Sources

- https://nenews.in/nagaland/nagaland-seeks-complete-lifting-of-protected-area-permit-regime-ahead-of-hornbill-fest/69268/
- https://www.sentinelassam.com/north-east-india-news/assam-news/nagaland-presses-centre-for-full-pap-withdrawal-ahead-of-hornbill-festival-2026
- https://ajmaliasacademy.in/why-nagaland-wants-the-protected-area-permit-pap-scrapped/
- https://m.thewire.in/article/government/13-years-after-it-was-scrapped-centre-reimposes-protected-area-regime-in-three-northeastern-states/amp
- https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/reimposition-of-protected-area-regime/print_manually
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornbill_Festival