Context

Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to the northeast heralded the recently granted Inner-Line Permit (ILP) system as the best gift for the people of Manipur.

About

What is the ILP system?

• ILP is issued to grant inward travel permission to an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.
• No Indian citizen can visit any of these states unless they belong to that state, nor can they overstay beyond the period specified in the ILP.
• Different types of permits under the ILP include permit for tourists, for tenants and for ones visiting for employment purposes.
• Issuer: An ILP is issued by the state government concerned and can be obtained after applying either online or physically. Dates of travel and areas that the ILP holder can travel to are mentioned in the document.
• The objective behind this is to prevent settlement of other Indian nationals in ILP states so as to protect the indigenous population and their access to land, jobs, and other facilities.

ILP and Manipur

• The ILP system was formally introduced in Manipur on January 1, 2020.
• Manipur is the fourth state in the northeast where this system is applicable. Other states under the ILP regime are:
  • Arunachal Pradesh
  • Nagaland
  • Mizoram

Origin of the concept

• The concept of the ILP comes from the colonial area.
• Under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873, the British framed regulations restricting the entry and regulating the stay of outsiders in designated areas and was done to protect their own trading interests in these areas.
• Later, in 1950, the Indian government made it applicable for Indian citizens, replacing “British subjects.”
• This was done as a measure for specific northeastern states to protect the interests of indigenous tribal communities.