India formally identifies 27 places in Arunachal on official map amid China's renaming claims

India has formally identified 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh by their standard names on the official Survey of India map, a move seen as reinforcing the state's geographical identity amid China's repeated attempts to rename locations in the border state.

According to an official statement issued on Friday, the exercise is intended to ensure accurate identification of these places and improve public awareness. "Identifying them formally on the Survey of India map of Arunachal Pradesh is aimed at facilitating their accurate recognition and better awareness among the public at large," the statement said.

New Delhi has consistently rejected Beijing's practice of assigning Chinese names to places in Arunachal Pradesh, describing the exercise as "vain and preposterous". India has maintained that such actions do not change the "undeniable" reality that Arunachal Pradesh "was, is, and will" remain an integral part of the country.

Among the locations now officially marked is Long Ju, situated along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The area witnessed one of the earliest India-China border confrontations in 1959 after Chinese forces entered the region. Nearby Maja village in Upper Subansiri district has also been included.

The list further covers Bisa village and several strategically significant high-altitude passes, including Dzo La, Riza La and Pukur La. Thag La, the mountain pass associated with one of the opening battles of the 1962 India-China war, has also been formally identified on the official map.

Jairampur in Changlang district, regarded as a key logistics hub supporting the movement of security forces towards eastern Arunachal Pradesh and the Myanmar border, is among the identified locations.

Other places included are Sambho Sarovar, a high-altitude lake, Bara Kundun, Chhota Kundun, Dhan Bari, Pritnagar, Teritnagar, Ramnagar, Jaswant Garh, Sagar, Padma, Jyotinagar and Baisakhi.

The updated list also features the Sher-e-Thapa Memorial, which commemorates 1962 war hero Trilok Singh Thapa, along with Chhota Ropuk, Bara Ropuk, Shivaji Nagar, Sunpura, Kamlang Nagar near the Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary, and Buddhamandir.

China has periodically released lists of what it describes as "standardised" names for places in Arunachal Pradesh, which it refers to as Zangnan. Beijing issued its first list covering six locations in 2017, followed by 15 places in 2021 and 11 more in 2023.

India has repeatedly dismissed these efforts as attempts to create "baseless narratives", asserting that assigning "fictitious names" to Indian territory cannot alter the facts on the ground and risks undermining efforts to improve bilateral relations.