Context: Recently, the Supreme Court declined to stay the operation of a Presidential order which petitioners claimed deprived Assam of the powers to implement the Inner Line system in its districts and limit the applicability of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

About Inner Line Permit (ILP)

• It is colonial-era concept of separating the tribal-populated hill areas in the Northeast from the plains.
• It has its origin from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act (BEFR), 1873.
• During the British rule, the BEFR prohibits an outsider’s i.e. “British subject or foreign citizen”, entry into the area beyond the Inner Line without a pass and his purchase of land there.
• After Independence, the Indian government replaced “British subjects” with “Citizen of India”.
• Its aim is to prevent settlement of other Indian nationals in the States where ILP regime is prevalent, in order to protect the indigenous/tribal population.
• It is valid in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur.
• It is issued by the concerned state governments.