Centre tightens control on Indo-Myanmar border movement, issues strict border pass guidelines

The Government of India has issued stringent guidelines to regulate the movement of people across the Indo–Myanmar Border, tightening controls at 43 designated entry and exit points and restricting cross-border travel strictly to residents of notified border areas.
According to the instructions, the new regime applies only to people living within 10 kilometres on either side of the Indo–Myanmar Border. The Centre has made it clear that no cross-border movement will be allowed without a Border Pass issued by an authorised representative of the Assam Rifles, effectively ending unrestricted movement along the border.
The guidelines state that the Border Pass will permit only a single entry and a maximum stay of 7 days within the border area. The pass must be surrendered at the same crossing point from which it was issued, underscoring tighter monitoring and traceability of cross-border movement.
The Centre has specified that border crossings will be allowed solely for limited purposes such as visiting relatives, tourism, education, medical treatment, official duty, border trade, participation in seminars or meetings, sports activities, and cultural exchange programmes. Any movement outside these purposes will not be permitted.
The instructions further clarify that the Border Pass will be issued only after strict verification of identity. Eligible applicants must produce either a Proof of Identity certificate issued by the local police or village authority, or a passport clearly showing residence in a recognised border village. The Proof of Identity certificate will be valid for only 1 year, indicating closer scrutiny of long-term eligibility.
The Government of India has also restricted the issuance of Border Passes to one adult per family. Children below 18 years will be allowed to cross only if accompanied by their parents, with a cap of 3 children per Border Pass. The guidelines clearly bar residents living beyond the notified border area and all third-country nationals from availing the facility.
The Centre has fixed operational timings at the designated crossing points from 06:00 am to 03:30 pm, 6 days a week, and has mandated the deployment of State Police and State Health personnel at every crossing point to enforce security and health checks.
The procedure laid down for both Myanmar and Indian nationals includes multiple layers of verification, including document checks by Assam Rifles, security screening by State Police, health and safety examination by State Health authorities, and biometric registration. The government has stated that any individual failing these checks will be denied a Border Pass and will not be allowed to cross the border.
The guidelines also stress that biometric data and QR code-enabled Border Passes will be generated and uploaded on a central portal, indicating enhanced digital surveillance and real-time monitoring of cross-border movement.
The Centre has made it clear that all travellers must return through the same crossing point within the permitted 7-day period, signalling zero tolerance for overstays or misuse of the Border Pass system.