Tripartite Agreement: Centre, Nagaland government, and ENPO signed an agreement to create the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA).
High-Level Presence: Pact was signed in the presence of Amit Shah and Neiphiu Rio.
Regional Focus: Agreement aims at administrative decentralisation and development of Eastern Nagaland.

New Authority: FNTA will be a special territorial administrative body for Eastern Nagaland.
Geographical Coverage: It will cover six districts — Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator.
Representative Body: The agreement was signed with Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation, representing eight recognised Naga tribes.
Power Devolution: 46 subjects will be devolved to FNTA, enabling local decision-making and governance.
Administrative Setup: FNTA will have a mini-Secretariat headed by an Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary.

Funding Assurance: The Union Home Ministry will bear the initial establishment expenditure of FNTA.
Annual Support: A fixed annual financial allocation will be determined to support FNTA’s functioning.
Development Outlay: Funds for Eastern Nagaland will be shared proportionally based on population and area.
Institutional Support: The Centre committed to long-term developmental assistance for the region.
Governance Continuity: FNTA will function within the existing State framework, not as a separate State.

● Constitutional Safeguard: The agreement does not affect Article 371(A) of the Constitution.

● Article 371(A): It protects Naga customary law, land ownership, and religious practices.

● Federal Balance: FNTA represents asymmetric federalism, allowing tailored governance within a State.

● Precedent Model: Similar to other regional autonomous arrangements in the Northeast.

● Governance Objective: Ensures development without dilution of constitutional protections for Nagaland.

What's New

CENTRE SIGNS TRIPARTITE PACT TO CREATE FNTA