You’d now require an Inner Line Permit to visit Manipur; what does it mean for a traveller?

Manipur joins its three other northeast sister states to become the fourth state where Inner Line Permit is now applicable. Now, if you want to travel to northeast India’s Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Mizoram, you have to follow the procedure of obtaining an Inner Line Permit. The new rule was signed by President Ram Nath Kovind two days after the decision was first announced in the Lok Sabha.
The Inner Line Permit is basically an official government document that will allow you to travel inside a protected area. Therefore, you are required to seek permission, and a valid permit to enter the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur as well. The idea behind such a rule of law is to protect tribal cultures of the northeastern states and to respect the unique tribal culture of these states.


You can obtain an Inner Line Permit to visit Manipur or the other three states mentioned above, by applying online, or even physically. Your permit will be issued by the state government of the state you want to visit, and it will mention the dates of travel and specify the places you can visit.
The Inner Line Permit was first introduced during the Colonial rule, under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873. It was designed to restrict and regulate entry of British subjects (Indians) in certain designated areas, mostly to protect the commercial interest of the British. After independence, the term British subjects was replaced with Citizen of India, and the Inner Line Permit continued to exist for certain parts of the country.