India Names 27 Locations in Arunachal Pradesh Amid China Renaming Row

New Delhi: India has announced official names for 27 significant geographical locations in Arunachal Pradesh, including locations close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The move comes amid repeated attempts by Beijing in recent years to rename places in the northeastern state.

The Survey of India has incorporated the standardised names of the locations into its maps to ensure their accurate identification and create greater public awareness, according to an official statement issued by the Union Home Ministry.

The government described China's attempts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh as "absurd" and reiterated India's position that the state is an integral part of the country.

The list includes Longju, a border village that has remained part of the India-China dispute since 1959. Of the 27 geographical locations included in the updated mapping, 21 are land features, four are mountain passes, one is a lake and one is a monument.

The 21 land features are Longju, Maja, Bisa, Bara Kundan, Chhota Kundan, Dhan Bari, Preetnagar, Buddh Mandir, Jairampur, Teritnagar, Ramnagar, Jaswant Garh, Sagar, Padma, Jyotinagar, Vaishakhi, Chhota Ropuk, Bara Ropuk, Shivaji Nagar, Sunpur and Kamlang Nagar.

The mountain passes listed are Dizo La, Riza La, Pukur La and Thag La. Shambho Sarovar has been identified as the lake, while the Sher-e-Tapa Memorial is the monument included in the list.

The latest move is part of India's efforts to reinforce the official geographical identity of Arunachal Pradesh amid continuing disputes with China over the state's territorial status and Beijing's efforts to assign alternative names to locations there.