Firm reply to Beijing: India standardizes 27 LAC sites in Arunachal Pradesh

In a direct strategic and cartographic counter to Beijing's repeated attempts to rename locations in the region, New Delhi has formally standardized the names of 27 key geographic features and locations in Arunachal Pradesh situated along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The notification, issued jointly by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, integrates the standard place and feature names into official Survey of India (SoI) maps.

The move is designed to assert India's sovereign and legal jurisdiction over these border territories while countering unilateral cartographic assertions from across the frontier.

a Prominent among the designated features are strategic high-altitude passes such as Dzo La, Riza La, Pukur La, and Thag La, alongside historical landmarks including the Sher-e-Thapa Memorial and Jaswant Garh, which commemorate Indian military history along the border.

The decision comes after China's Ministry of Civil Affairs issued multiple lists since 2017 assigning Mandarin names to places, rivers, and peaks across Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as "Zangnan" or South Tibet.

India has consistently rejected China's renaming actions, reiterating that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and that assigning invented names does not alter this reality.

By establishing standardized nomenclature on official cartographic records, India reinforces its domestic administrative clarity and international territorial posture along the sensitive northeastern border.