The Government of India has formally standardised the names of 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh on official Survey of India maps, in consultation with the state government.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the exercise is aimed at facilitating the accurate recognition of the locations and creating greater public awareness about them.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
India has formally standardised 27 Arunachal Pradesh locations and geographical features on official Survey of India maps.
The list includes 21 land areas, four mountain passes, one lake and one monument.
Longju and Thag La carry major historical significance in the India-China border dispute. The move comes amid China's repeated attempts to assign its own names to locations in Arunachal Pradesh.
India has consistently rejected China's naming exercises and territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh. The latest exercise is officially aimed at accurate geographical recognition and greater public awareness.
Recent reports alleging Chinese encroachment in Arunachal Pradesh have been rejected by the Arunachal Pradesh government and the Indian Army.
The 27 entries include 21 land areas, four mountain passes, one lake and one monument.
The land areas identified are Longju, Maja, Bisa, Bara Kundun, Chhota Kundun, Dhan Bari, Pritnagar, Buddhamandir, Jairampur, Teritnagar, Ramnagar, Jaswant Garh, Sagar, Padma, Jyotinagar, Baisakhi, Chhota Ropuk, Bara Ropuk, Shivaji Nagar, Sunpura and Kamlang Nagar.
The four mountain passes included in the official list are Dzo La, Riza La, Pukur La and Thag La. The list also includes Sambho Sarovar and the Sher-e-Thapa Memorial.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The significance of the development goes beyond the names appearing on a map. In a territorial dispute, official cartography is part of how governments document geographical positions, administrative records and territorial claims. By formally recording the 27 locations using standard names on Survey of India maps, India is reinforcing the consistency of its official geographical records. The timing is also important. China has repeatedly attempted to introduce its own names for locations in Arunachal Pradesh. India has rejected these exercises as incapable of changing the actual status of the territory. At the same time, the latest move should not be interpreted as a change in physical control of territory. Map standardisation is an administrative and cartographic exercise; it does not by itself alter the Line of Actual Control or settle the India-China boundary dispute.
The development assumes wider significance because China has repeatedly announced its own so-called standardised names for locations in Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing refers to as Zangnan.
India has consistently rejected China's naming exercises, maintaining that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India.
The latest Indian mapping exercise therefore comes against the backdrop of a long-running dispute over territorial claims and competing cartographic narratives between the two countries.
Among the 27 locations, Longju has particular historical significance. Located along the Line of Actual Control, it was the site of an early India-China border confrontation in 1959. Thag La, another location included in the list, is associated with the opening phase of the 1962 India-China war.
The latest development also coincides with renewed social-media claims alleging Chinese military encroachment in parts of Arunachal Pradesh.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has rejected those reports, saying that he does not believe there has been an incursion and that Indian Army personnel are deployed to maintain the territory.
The Indian Army had also rejected earlier reports alleging recent Chinese encroachment and establishment of camps in Arunachal Pradesh, describing those reports as incorrect and without basis.
The Government's decision to formally identify the 27 locations on official Survey of India maps adds another layer to India's efforts to maintain clear geographical records of the state.
The Survey of India already maintains official state mapping and geospatial datasets for Arunachal Pradesh, including a 3rd/2025 English state map listed on its official website.
What the 27 Locations Include
- 21 land areas
- 4 mountain passes: Dzo La, Riza La, Pukur La and Thag La
- 1 lake: Sambho Sarovar
- 1 monument: Sher-e-Thapa Memorial
- The complete list of 27 locations has been reported from the Ministry of Home Affairs statement.
