Why in the News
The official Survey of India (SoI) map of Ladakh has gone from leaving out 28 places and geographical features to showing them under standardised names. The Centre identified them with the Union Territory (UT) administration. The move comes days after a similar exercise for Arunachal Pradesh, amid cartographic aggression by China, meaning claiming territory by issuing maps and names for it.
What is name standardisation, and what is it for?
- What it is: Standardisation fixes one official name for each place or feature and prints it on the government map, much like giving every house an official address.
- The mapping agency: The Survey of India is the national mapping agency, and its maps are the reference for official use.
- Stated purpose: The Centre said the formal identification aims at accurate recognition and greater public awareness of these places.
- Open access: The updated Ladakh map with the additional features can be viewed on the SoI website.
- The takeaway: Naming features on an official map is a peaceful way of recording a territorial claim.
What does the list contain?
- Eleven peaks: Those named draw on the region’s history and faith:
- Buddhist masters: Atisha Giri, Rinchen Zangpo, Sakyasri Giri, Marpa Lotsava Ri and Milarepa Kangri;
- rulers and generals: Kanishka Peak, after the Kushan emperor, and Zorawar Peak, after the Dogra general Zorawar Singh;
- Hindu deities: Shiva Ri, Maheshvara Ri and Martand Giri.
- Five mountains: These include Karun Pir, Drak Karpo and Jolmori.
- Land areas: Brangsa, Kuksel, Dehra Compass, Gogra, Kumarayana Point, Panglung and Shamal Lungpa.
- Glaciers and passes: Parpik and Skamri are listed as glaciers, and Chapchingal and Shachmirk as passes.
- Valley, river and water bodies: Shkorga Valley, Yangpa River, Guru Rinpoche lake and a water body named Hot Spring.
Why do names on a map matter on this frontier?
- Troop build up: Since April 2020 China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has amassed troops and armaments in eastern Ladakh and other areas along the 3,488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC).
- Altering facts on the ground: The PLA moved into Indian territory and built fortified structures and defences to permanently alter the status quo.
- Answering with names: Official Indian names for these features counter China’s practice of issuing its own names for Indian territory.
Challenges
- Names versus control: A name on a map does not restore access. Eg. Buffer zones after the 2020 disengagement limit Indian patrolling.
- Counter renaming: China keeps issuing its own lists. Eg. Its names for places in Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls Zangnan.
- Border settlements: China backs claims with villages near the LAC, a “salami slicing” tactic that takes territory in small steps.
- Local usage: Official names may differ from those herders and residents use, causing confusion on the ground.
Way Forward
- International gazetteers: Submit the names to the UN Group of Experts on Geographical Names and international mapping services.
- Everyday use: Use the names in school atlases, the Census and government digital maps.
- Presence on the ground: Extend the Vibrant Villages Programme to settle and service border villages in Ladakh.
- Border talks: Press for LAC clarification through the Special Representatives mechanism.
Conclusion
India has begun answering China’s cartographic claims with official names of its own on both disputed frontiers. Names record a claim, but whether they hold depends on presence on the ground and on progress in border talks.
Back2Basics: Line of Actual Control
- About: The LAC is the de facto line between Indian held and Chinese held territory, never jointly demarcated. China occupies about 38,000 sq km of Aksai Chin.
- Western sector (Ladakh): India follows the Johnson Line (1865). China claims the Macartney-MacDonald Line (1899).
- Middle and eastern sectors: The middle sector (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) is largely undisputed. In the east, the LAC follows the McMahon Line of the Simla Convention (1914).
- Friction points: Gogra and Hot Springs were among the 2020 standoff sites, alongside Galwan and Pangong Tso.
Matching Previous Year Question
“[2016, GS1, 12 marks] South China Sea has assumed great geopolitical significance in the present context. Comment.”
