India's Survey of India adds 27 Arunachal sites to maps

The Indian government has formally added 27 locations and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh to the official maps of the Survey of India, a move officials described as a step to ensure precise identification and increase public awareness. The action, announced on August 7, 2026, was taken in consultation with the Arunachal Pradesh state government.

The development comes amid repeated efforts by China to release lists of what it calls standardized names for places in the region, which Beijing refers to as Zangnan or South Tibet. India has consistently rejected these exercises, describing them as vain and preposterous, and maintains they have no bearing on its sovereignty over the state.

The newly marked locations include areas of historical and strategic significance along the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border between India and China. Among them is Longju, where Chinese forces entered in 1959, marking an early flashpoint in the border dispute. The list also features several high-altitude mountain passes, including Dzo La, Riza La, Pukur La, and Thag La, the site of an opening battle in the 1962 war between the two nations.

Other key locations include Jairampur in...