Protected Area Permit (PAP) in Nagaland

Source: The Indian Express

Why in news?

Ahead of the Hornbill Festival (Kohima, 1-10 December 2026), the Nagaland government has urged the Centre to completely withdraw the Protected Area Permit (PAP) scheme from the State. The festival draws over one lakh visitors a year, including foreign tourists, and the State says PAP hurts investment, growth and tourist flow.

What is the PAP regime?

• Issued by the Government of India to allow foreigners to visit border-state areas designated as protected or restricted.
• Legal basis: the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958.
• Covers most northeastern states, including Nagaland.
• It is issued under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Ministry of Home Affairs administers it. Other areas with similar permits include parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Sikkim. Separate Inner Line Permits (ILP) apply to Indian citizens visiting states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur, under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

Timeline

Since the reimposition, Nagaland has consistently demanded complete withdrawal.

Nagaland's arguments

• CM Neiphiu Rio:
• When States are urged to compete for investment, build international partnerships and promote tourism, such restrictions put Nagaland at a distinct disadvantage.
• A rule made for a very different historical and security setting should not block the development aspirations of a peaceful state.
• The continued regime causes "avoidable frustration" and a sense of alienation, especially among youth.
• Deputy CM Y Patton (Home and Border Affairs): The State seeks full withdrawal to ease tourism, there is no law-and-order problem, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured a review, but no decision has been taken.

Why the 2025 relaxation was not enough?

• Foreign tourists plan trips, tickets and accommodation weeks and months ahead.
• A relaxation announced only around festival dates cannot give planning certainty, defeating its purpose.
• Hence the demand for a permanent policy change, not a seasonal one.

Way forward

• Move PAP processing to the visa stage (a combined e-visa and PAP process).
• Consider calibrated relaxation: exempt low-risk areas, keep limits near sensitive border stretches, and use digital screening instead of blanket permits.
• Give advance notice of any relaxation so tourism operators can plan.
• Keep a continuous dialogue between the State and the Centre.