In a major boost to Nagaland’s legal infrastructure, the Ministry of Law and Justice has amended the Notaries Rules, 1956, increasing the State’s quota of Notary Publics from 200 to 400.
An official notification issued by the Department of Legal Affairs and signed by Additional Secretary (Legal Affairs) Ashutosh Mishra stated that the amendment, titled The Notaries (Amendment) Rules, 2025, came into effect following its publication in the Official Gazette on October 17, 2025.
Under the amendment, Nagaland’s figure in the Schedule to the Notaries Rules, 1956, has been revised from 200 to 400. Similar enhancements were approved for Gujarat (from 2,900 to 6,000), Tamil Nadu (from 2,500 to 3,500), and Rajasthan (from 2,000 to 3,000).
The increase follows multiple representations by Y. Kikheto Sema, IAS, during his tenure as Principal Secretary for Law and Justice, to Union Minister for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, in New Delhi. The discussions built upon commitments made by the Minister during his visits to Nagaland on October 22, 2024, and April 12, 2025.
Sema, now Principal Secretary for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and Parliamentary Affairs, urged the Centre to enhance Nagaland’s notary quota under Rule 8(4A) of the Notaries Rules, citing the State’s growing legal needs. He highlighted that the original quota of 200 was fixed in 1963, when Nagaland had three districts and a population of 3.7 lakh, while the State now has 20 districts and an estimated population of 22.58 lakh.
He said the Central Government’s decision would “significantly strengthen the delivery of legal and documentation services” and provide opportunities for young legal professionals who had long awaited appointments.
Calling the development “a huge achievement,” Sema noted that this is the first time since statehood that the Centre has amended the Notaries Rules to enhance Nagaland’s quota. He thanked Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Advisor for Law and Justice TN Mannen, and the Union Government for addressing “a long-felt need.” He added that the increased quota would ease the workload concentrated in Kohima, Dimapur, and Mokokchung, enabling every district to have access to its own notaries.
