Nagaland urges Centre to withdraw protected area permit regime

In Brief

1. Nagaland passed a resolution demanding withdrawal of the protected area permit regime.
2. The permit was relaxed in Nagaland in 2011 but reimposed on December 17, 2024.
3. The permit regulates foreign nationals' entry into notified areas.
4. The resolution signals local opposition to the recent reinstatement of the permit regime.

Nagaland's legislative assembly has passed a resolution urging the central government to withdraw the protected area permit regime recently reimposed in the state. The regime, which regulates the entry of foreign nationals into notified areas, had been relaxed in Nagaland since 2011 but was reinstated on December 17, 2024.

This move reflects local concerns over the impact of the permit system on the state's autonomy and development. The resolution is a formal appeal signaling the state's desire for the removal of these restrictions.

The protected area permit system requires foreign nationals to obtain permissions before entering certain designated zones, a process that has previously been viewed as a barrier to tourism and investment in the region.

While the central government had suspended these restrictions for over a decade, the recent decision to reintroduce the permit has faced resistance from local authorities and communities alike.