Inner Line Permit

Why in news?

• Demonstration in Meghalaya for implementation of Inner Line Permit.

What is an Inner Line Permit?

• An Inner Line Permit is an official travel document required by Indian citizens to visit or stay in states and regions where it is applicable. 
• Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland (except the city of Dimapur) are currently under the ILP system, and Indian citizens who do not belong to these regions need to have the document to visit or stay.
• Outsiders cannot overstay the timeline mentioned in their permits.
• Different types of permits are provided — for tourists, for tenants and for other employment purposes, based on the period of stay.
• The system is an offshoot of the colonial-era Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873.
• The British had brought in these regulations to protect the commercial interest of the crown by regulating entry and exit of Indian citizens from outside these regions for the purpose of trade.
• After Independence, the Government of India chose to keep the ILP to protect the interests of the indigenous tribal communities of the Northeast. The words, “British subjects (Indians)”, in the original regulations were replaced by “Citizen of India”.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Which of the following states currently have an inner line permit system in place?
1.Arunachal Pradesh
2.Mizoram 
3.Nagaland
4.Meghalaya
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a)1 and 2 only
(b)1 and 3 only
(c)1,2,3 only
(d)1,2,3,4

Answer to prelims question