Indian Government Relaxes Protected Area Permit Regime for India’s North-Eastern States

Travellers from other countries can now freely enter the protected areas of India’s pristine north-east – Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur without the need for special permits.

In effect from 1st April, the Indian Government has decided to relax a six-decade Protect Area Permit regime that restricted foreign tourists from entering certain protected areas. Officials say this has been done to promote tourism. Tourists from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan will not be allowed without special permits.

According to the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, the protected areas currently include Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland in the north-east, and parts of Himachal Pradesh,  Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Rajasthan. Officials say that the government is looking to open up other areas as well.

This is fantastic news, because it promotes good, hassle-free tourism into some of the most beautiful, remote areas of India!

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Feature Image:  An ex-animal hunter with his grand daughters in Khonoma, Nagaland.
Photo © Tanushree Singh