The correct answer is: b) North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA)
The North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) was a British administrative unit in the northeastern region of India. It was created in 1914 from the merger of the Balipara Frontier Tract, the Tirap Frontier Tract, and the Sadiya Frontier Tract. The NEFA was administered by the Government of India’s External Affairs Ministry.
After India’s independence in 1947, the NEFA continued to be administered by the External Affairs Ministry. In 1954, the NEFA was declared a “tribal area” under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. This meant that the NEFA had a special status within the Indian Union, with its own autonomous government.
In 1972, the NEFA was renamed Arunachal Pradesh and granted statehood. Arunachal Pradesh is now one of the 28 states of India.
The other options are incorrect because:
- Option (a), Assam Frontier Tract, was an administrative unit in the northeastern region of India that existed from 1874 to 1914. It was merged with the Balipara Frontier Tract, the Tirap Frontier Tract, and the Sadiya Frontier Tract to form the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) in 1914.
- Option (c), Balipara Frontier Tract, was an administrative unit in the northeastern region of India that existed from 1874 to 1914. It was merged with the Assam Frontier Tract, the Tirap Frontier Tract, and the Sadiya Frontier Tract to form the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) in 1914.
- Option (d), Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh, was a union territory in the northeastern region of India that existed from 1972 to 1987. It was granted statehood in 1987.