Understanding the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA)

The North East Frontier Agency, often abbreviated as NEFA, was an administrative division of India. It was located in the northeastern part of the country.

Historically, administrative regions in India have sometimes been renamed or reorganized. Understanding these historical names is important for studying the political geography of the country.

Which State Was Formerly Known as NEFA?

The question asks which of the given states was previously known as the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA).

Let's look at the options:

• West Bengal
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Assam
• Orissa

Based on historical records, the area that constituted the North East Frontier Agency was later reorganized and given statehood.

The state that was formed from the territory of NEFA is Arunachal Pradesh.

NEFA was renamed Arunachal Pradesh on January 20, 1972, and it became a Union Territory. It attained full statehood on February 20, 1987.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

The other states listed in the options were not formerly known as the North East Frontier Agency:

• West Bengal: West Bengal is a state located in the eastern part of India. Its history and administrative boundaries are distinct from NEFA.
• Assam: Assam is another state in the northeastern part of India. While NEFA's administration was sometimes linked with Assam in the past, Assam itself was not formerly called NEFA. NEFA was a separate political division, although its foreign relations and defence were managed by the Governor of Assam.
• Orissa (now Odisha): Odisha is located in Eastern India along the coast. It has no historical connection to the North East Frontier Agency.

Therefore, the only state among the options that was previously known as the North East Frontier Agency is Arunachal Pradesh.