Brief facts of formation of districts of Nagaland (Updated-2022)

Nagaland was formed in 1963 with three districts, namely Kohima, Mokokchung and Tuensang. These were the first three districts of Nagaland when it was formed as a State. Kohima is known as the ‘first district of Nagaland’. As of January 2022, there are 16 districts in Nagaland. Shamator district being the youngest district in Nagaland created in January 2022. In this article, we shall see some brief facts of formation of districts of Nagaland (Updated-2022).

About Nagaland State:

Nagaland is a hilly state in the North Eastern corner of India. Nagaland became the 16th state of India on 1st December 1963. Nagaland State was formed from the erstwhile Naga Hills Tuensang Area (NHTA).

Nagaland has a total area of 16,579 sq. km (6,401 sq miles) and lies between Latitude: 25^o 6’N to 27^o4’N and Longitude: 93^o20’ E to 95^o15’E. Nagaland shares boundaries with:

- Myanmar & Arunachal Pradesh – East
- Assam –West
- Assam & Arunachal Pradesh –North
- Manipur –South

Brief facts of formation of districts of Nagaland in order of creation:

1. Kohima District (1957)

Kohima was also originally known as Kewhira. Kohima was founded in 1878 when the British Empire established its headquarters of the then Naga Hills district of Assam.
Kohima as a ‘district’ was formed in 1957 with the formation of Naga Hills-Tuensang Area (NHTA), along with Mokokchung and Tuensang districts. Kohima remained a district and the capital of Nagaland when Nagaland state was formed in 1963.
Kohima is the first district of Nagaland.
Districts carved out of Kohima District:
- Phek District in 1973.
- Dimapur District in 1997.
- Peren District in 2004.
- Tseminyu District in 2021.

2. Mokokchung District (1957)

Mokokchung was a sub-division created in 1889 under the Naga Hills District under Assam. It remained a sub-division following India independence in 1947. Naga Hills district remained as a district of Assam until 1957, when Mokokchung and Tuensang Frontier Division of the North-East Frontier Agency (now Arunachal Pradesh) were joined to form the centrally governed Naga Hills Tuensang Area.
Mokokchung as a district was formed in 1957 when NHTA was formed with Kohima, Mokokchung and Tuensang as its districts.
When Nagaland state was formed in 1963, Mokokchung remained as one of its districts.
Mokokchung is the second district of Nagaland.
The motor vehicle (RTO) code of Mokokchung is NL 02.

3. Tuensang District (1957)

The area comprising the present District of Tuensang remained totally un-administered in the pre-independence days. The British had declared it as an Excluded Area.
In 1948, an administrative center was established at Tuensang and in 1945 the area (including the present Mon, Longleng and Kiphire Districts) was brought under the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) as the Tuensang Frontier Division.
In 1957, the Tuensang Frontier Division was merged with the Naga Hills District of Assam to form an administrative unit called the Naga Hills Tuensang Area (NHTA).
Tuensang as a district was formed in 1957 when NHTA was formed with Kohima, Mokokchung and Tuensang as its districts.
When Nagaland state was formed in 1963, Tuensang remained as one of its districts.
Tuensang is the third district of Nagaland.
The motor vehicle (RTO) code of Tuensang is NL 03.

4. Mon District (1973)

Mon district was formed in December 1973, when four more districts (Mon, Wokha, Zunheboto, Phek) were created for administrative reasons. (State Government notification no. APA.15/12/71 dated 19.12.73)
Mon district was created on 21st December 1973 by carving out of Tuensang district of Nagaland state.
Earlier, Mon was a sub-division under Tuensang Frontier Division in 1954 and continued to be a sub-division under Tuensang district when NHTA was formed in 1957. It remained under Tuensang district till 1973 when Mon district was created by carving out Mon sub-division from Tuensang district of Nagaland state.
The motor vehicle (RTO) code of Mon is NL 04.

Brief History: In 1951, Balipara Frontier Tract, Tirap Frontier Tract, Abor Hills district, Mishmi Hills district and the Naga tribal areas (Tuensang and Mon areas) were together renamed as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA). On 26 January 1954 the North-East Frontier Agency was divided into six frontier divisions: Kameng (formerly Sela Sub-Agency), Subansiri (formerly Subansiri area), Tirap (formerly Tirap Frontier Tract), Siang (formerly Abor Hills district), Lohit (formerly Mishmi Hills district) and Tuensang Frontier Division. Mon was a sub-division under Tuensang Frontier Division.

5. Wokha District (1973)

Wokha district was created in 1973 by carving Wokha Sub-Division out of Mokokchung district of Nagaland state. (State Government notification no. APA.15/12/71 dated 19.12.73)
Wokha and Zunheboto districts was carved out of erstwhile Mokokchung district.
The motor vehicle (RTO) code of Wokha is NL 05.

Brief History: Earlier, the British Government setup the District Hq. of Naga Hill under Assam at Wokha. In the year 1878, the Hq was shifted to Kohima and Wokha remained as Sub – Division. Again in 1889, the Sub – Division was shifted to Mokokchung. In the year 1957, when Mokokchung became a district through the creation of NHTA, Wokha again became a Sub – Division under Mokokchung district of NHTA.

6. Zunheboto District (1973)

Zunheboto district was created on 19 December 1973. (State Government notification no. APA.15/12/71 dated 19.12.73)
Wokha and Zunheboto districts was carved out of erstwhile Mokokchung district.
The motor vehicle (RTO) code of Zunheboto is NL 06.

7. Phek District (1973)

Phek district was created on 19 December 1973 by carving out of erstwhile Kohima district of Nagaland state. (State Government notification no. APA.15/12/71 dated 19.12.73)
The motor vehicle (RTO) code of Phek is NL 08.

8. Dimapur District (1997)

Dimapur district was created on 2 December 1997 vide Government of Nagaland, Home Department notification no. GAB-5/29/78(pt) dated 02-12-1997.
Dimapur district was created by carving out from Kohima district. Earlier Dimapur was a sub-division under Kohima district.
Dimapur is the eight district of Nagaland.

9. Peren District (Notified in 2003)

Peren district was created in 2003 by the Government of Nagaland vide Home Department Notification No.GAB–3/5/93 (Pt–II) dated 24th October 2003.
Peren district was created by carving out 6 circles out of Kohima District. (Source: District Census Handbook – Peren)
Earlier, Peren was a sub–division under Kohima district.
Peren was declared as full-fledged Revenue District on 24th January 2004. (Source: Peren district portal)
First Deputy Commissioner of Peren district: Shri. Mikha Lomi.

10. Longleng District (Notified in 2003)

Longleng district was created in 2003 as the tenth district of Nagaland through Government of Nagaland, Home Department Notification No. GAB–3/5/93 (pt–II) dated 24th October, 2003. (Source: District Census Handbook – Longleng)
Longleng district was formed as a result of bifurcation of Tuensang District.
Longleng was declared as full-fledged Revenue District on 24th January 2004. (Source: Longleng District Portal)

11. Kiphire District (Notified in 2003)

Kiphire district was formally created in 2003 through Government of Nagaland, Home Department Notification No. GAB–3/5/93 (pt–II) dated 24th October,2003. (Source: District Census Handbook – Kiphire)
Kiphire district was inaugurated as the eleventh district of Nagaland on 24th January, 2004.
Kiphire district was formed by carving out of Tuensang district of Nagaland state.
Earlier, Kiphire was a sub-division of under Tuensang district.

12. Noklak District (Notified in 2017)

Noklak is the 12th district of Nagaland created on 21 December 2017.
Noklak district was carved out of Tuensang district. Noklak was previously a sub-division under Tuensang district.
Noklak Sub-Division under Tuensang District was upgraded to full-fledged district vide Home Dept., Government of Nagaland notification No. GAB-6/ZBTO/67/2009 dated 21.12.2017.
Later, Noklak district was notified as a full fledged revenue district under Deputy Commissioner on 10th July 2020 –vide Home Dept., Government of Nagaland notification No.GAB-I/NLK/GEN-1/2020(Pt-1) dated 10.07.2020
Noklak district was formally inaugurated on 20 January 2021 by Chief Minister Shri. Neiphiu Rio.

13. Tseminyu District (2021)

Tseminyu is the 13th district of Nagaland created in December 2021.
Tseminyu district was created by carving Tseminyu sub-division out of Kohima district.
Tseminyu was notified a district vide Home Department, Govt. of Nagaland Notification No. GAB-I/COM/DIST.ADMIN/2019(Pt.-1) dated 20.12.2021.

14. Niuland District (2021)

Niuland is the 14th district of Nagaland created in December 2021.
Niuland district was created by carving out Niuland sub-division out of Dimapur district.
Niuland was notified a district vide Home Department, Govt. of Nagaland Notification No. GAB-I/COM/DIST.ADMIN/2019(Pt.-1) dated 20.12.2021.

15. Chumoukedima District (2021)

Chumoukedima is the 15th district of Nagaland created in December 2021.
Chumoukedima district was notified a district vide Home Department, Govt. of Nagaland Notification No. GAB-I/COM/DIST.ADMIN/2019(Pt.-1) dated 20.12.2021.
Chumoukedima district was created comprising of the administrative area of Medziphema Sub-Division, Dhansaripar Sub-Division, Seithekema EAC Circle with town ans villages listed in the notification.

16. Shamator District (2022)

Shamator is the 16th district of Nagaland notified on 20th January 2022.
Shamator district was notified a district vide Home Department, Govt. of Nagaland Notification No. GAB-I/COM/DIST.ADMIN/2019(Pt.-1) dated 20.01.2022.
Shamator was earlier a sub-division under Tuensang district.
Shamator district was created by carving out Shamator Sub-division, Chessore Sub-division, some other administrative areas under Tuensang District and some more areas under Kiphire District.
As per the Govt. notification the Shamator District areas comprises of:

(i) Existing administrative area of Shamator Sub-division under Tuensang District.
(ii) Existing administrative area of Chessore Sub-division, including Mangko EAC Circle, under Tuensang District
(iii) Administrative area of Sotokur EAC Circle under Tuensang District, excluding Chingmelen, Helipong and Sipongsang villages.
(iv) Tsurungto EAC Circle under Shamator Sub-division, and it shall also include Hutanger, Anatongre, Pungrungru, Nutsu, Maihpok and Tsuthu, villages; under Kiphire District, which stand transferred to Tsurungto EAC Circle.

Shamator area is primarily inhabited by the Yimkhiung Naga Tribe.

With the creation of Shamator district, Shamator is the youngest and the 16th district of Nagaland as of Jan. 2022.

Since the formation of Nagaland state in 1963, a total of five (5) districts have been carved out of erstwhile Tuensang district namely:- Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator.

Other district demands in Nagaland:

With the recent districts created by the Government, demand for other districts are growing. Other new district demand includes:-

Mangkolemba in Mokokchung District
Bhandari in Wokha District
Tobu in Mon District
Aboi in Mon District

References:

Nagaland Current Affairs Digest - December 2019

Nagaland Current Affairs Digest – October 2021

Rivers of Nagaland