Assignment – 04

Law and Society

Inner Line Permit

An Inner Line Permit (ILP) is a government-issued travel permit that allows an

Indian citizen to enter a protected region for a certain length of time. Indian
residents from outside certain states are required to get a permission before
visiting the protected state. The paper is part of the government's endeavour
to control migration to specific locations near India's international border. This
is an outgrowth of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, which
safeguarded the Crown's interests in the tea, oil, and elephant trade by
forbidding "British citizens" from accessing certain "Protected Areas" (to
prevent them from competing with the Crown's agents). In 1950, the term
"British subjects" was replaced by "Indian citizens." Despite the fact that the
ILP was developed by the British to defend their economic interests, it is still in
use in India, where it is ostensibly employed to conserve tribal traditions in
north eastern India. Despite the fact that the ILP was developed by the British
to defend their economic interests, it is still in use in India, where it is
ostensibly employed to conserve tribal traditions in north eastern India. There
are two types of ILPs: one for visitors and another for those who want to stay
for an extended length of time, usually for work.

In Arunachal Pradesh, It is issued by the Government of Arunachal Pradesh's

Secretary (Political). It is necessary to enter Arunachal Pradesh through any of
the checkpoints along the Assam-Nagaland interstate boundary. An ILP for
temporary visitors is valid for 15 days and can be extended, but an ILP for
people seeking work in the state and their immediate family members is good
for a year. The government of Arunachal Pradesh intends to establish a permit-
on-arrival system. In Nagaland, The Government of Nagaland has released it. It
is required for Indian residents from other states to enter Nagaland through
any of the interstate checkpoints. The only area in Nagaland that does not
require an ILP is Dimapur, the state's main city and port head. Indians
travelling by air at Dimapur Airport can enter and stay in the city without one.
In Mizoram, It is issued by the Mizoram government. It is necessary to have it
in order to enter Mizoram through any of the inter-State checkpoints. Visitors
are usually given a "Temporary ILP," which is valid for 15 days and can be
renewed for another 15 days, with the potential of being extended for one
month in extreme situations. A “Regular ILP” may be obtained with the
sponsorship of a local resident or government department, which is valid for 6
months and can be renewed twice for another 6 months each. An ILP may be
obtained upon arrival at Aizawl's Lengpui Airport if coming by plane.

The notion of an Inner Line Permit has been discussed in the run-up to the
anticipated presentation of the Citizenship Amendment Bill during the current
session of Parliament. When political and civil society representatives from the
Northeastern states met with him to express their concerns about the Bill,
Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured them that the Bill would protect
those regions and states where the Inner Line Permit (ILP) applies and
autonomy has been granted under the Constitution's Sixth Schedule.