The Government of India has formally standardised the names of 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh, strengthening their recognition in the country's official maps and government records amid the ongoing boundary dispute with China.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced the exercise on August 7, stating that it was carried out in consultation with the Arunachal Pradesh government.
The newly standardised names have been incorporated into the official maps of the Survey of India (SoI), providing a uniform reference for administrative, legal and cartographic purposes.
Why Has India Changed the Names?
The move comes against the backdrop of China's repeated attempts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing refers to as "Zangnan" or "South Tibet".
India has consistently rejected China's territorial claims over the state and has maintained that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India.
India's latest exercise is intended to establish official and uniform Indian nomenclature for the identified locations. The government has maintained that names assigned by another country to places within Indian territory cannot alter the ground reality or India's sovereignty over the region.
The standardisation is also aimed at eliminating confusion caused by different spellings or references to the same locations across government documents.
Having officially recognised names will allow government departments to use a common geographical reference in maps, gazetteers, administrative records and other official documents.
Beyond the diplomatic dimension, the exercise has practical administrative benefits. Uniform geographical names can support infrastructure planning, disaster management, public service delivery, navigation, and coordination between government agencies operating in the frontier state.
Which Places Have Been Standardised?
The 27 notified locations include settlements, localities, mountain passes, a lake and a military memorial.
Settlements and Localities
The settlements and localities identified by the MHA are:
Longju
Maja
Bisa
Bara Kundun
Chhota Kundun
Dhan Bari
Pritnagar
Buddhamandir
Jairampur
Teritnagar
Ramnagar
Jawant Garh
Sagar
Padma
Jyothinagar
Baisakhi
Chhota Ropuk
Bara Ropuk
Shivaji Nagar
Sunpura
Kamlang Nagar
Geographical Features
The geographical features include four strategically significant mountain passes - Dzo La, Riza La, Pukur La and Thag La, along with Sambho Sarovar, a lake, and the Sher-e-Thapa Memorial, which commemorates India's military history in the region.
What Does the Move Mean?
The standardisation does not change the physical boundary or control of any territory. Instead, it formally establishes how these locations will be identified in India's official geographical records.
The updated Survey of India maps are expected to serve as an authoritative reference for government agencies, planning and public use. The exercise also allows locally recognised names to be formally incorporated into India's mapping system.
India has repeatedly stated that unilateral attempts by other countries to rename places within Arunachal Pradesh have no legal validity and cannot affect India's territorial claims.
The latest move therefore serves two purposes: it improves the accuracy and consistency of India's administrative and cartographic records while also reinforcing New Delhi's long-standing position that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inseparable part of India.
