India formally names 28 places and features in Ladakh on official map amid China push | Why it matters

India has formally named and mapped 28 places and geographical features in Ladakh on official Survey of India maps, following a similar exercise in Arunachal Pradesh. The move comes amid China’s practice of assigning Chinese names to locations in Indian territories.

The Centre has formally identified and mapped 28 places and geographical features in Ladakh on the official Survey of India map, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday.

The MHA said the exercise was carried out in consultation with the Union Territory administration and is aimed at facilitating the “accurate recognition” of these locations and improving public awareness about them.

The move comes after the Centre standardised the names of 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh in August this year.

What are the 28 places named by India?

The newly standardised names include Zorawar Peak, Kanishka Peak, Atisha Giri, Martand Giri, Rinchen Zangpo, Sakyasri Giri, Marpa Lotsava Ri, Milarepa Kangri, Shiva Ri and Maheshvara Ri.

The list also includes Karun Pir, Drak Karpo and Jolmori mountains; Chapchingal Pass and Shachmirk Pass; Parpik and Skamri glaciers; and Shkorga Valley.

Other identified geographical features include Brangsa, Kuksel, Dehra Compass, Gogra, Kumarayana Point, Panglung and Shamal Lungpa.

Guru Rinpoche Lake, Yangpa River and Hot Spring are also among the 28 features.

The government said these names will now be represented on the Survey of India’s official map of Ladakh, and the objective was to facilitate accurate recognition and greater public awareness.

Why does the mapping matter?

China has routinely assigned Mandarin names to locations in Indian territory as part of its aggressive efforts to reinforce its territorial claims.

Since 2017, Beijing has issued multiple lists of such names — beginning with six places, followed by 15 in 2021, further batches in 2023 and 2024, and another 23 locations in April 2026.

The successive rounds have taken the total number of renamed locations to more than 80, according to Modern Diplomacy.

Analysts cited by Firstpost have described the practice as a form of “cartographic aggression” and psychological warfare, arguing that the renaming is intended to reinforce Chinese territorial claims and influence how the disputed areas are represented on maps.

Beijing refers to Arunachal Pradesh as “Zangnan”, or southern Tibet, and has repeatedly announced new Chinese names for places there. Notably, Tibet was occupied by China in 1950 by the use of brutal force, displacing thousands of native people towards India and Nepal.

India has rejected these moves, making clear that China cannot change the status of Indian territory simply by assigning it a different name.

The Ladakh exercise follows the Centre's August decision to standardise 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh on Survey of India maps.

The Arunachal list included places such as Thag La, Dzo La, Riza La, Pukur La and Jaswant Garh, among others.

India has consistently rejected the practice, saying that changing place names does not change their status or India's sovereignty over them.

About the Author

Bhanu Pratap is a journalist who reports and writes on foreign affairs, India’s foreign policy, geopolitics and strategic affairs. He closely follows diplomatic developments in New Delhi and has a keen interest in defence and national security.<br> <br> Bhanu also focuses on in-depth, interview-based reports and regularly speaking with experts and policymakers to bring perspectives and context to major developments around the world.<br> <br> He is also interested in stories with strong humanitarian angles.<br><br> One such report examined the cases of Indian nationals who were allegedly recruited and forced into Russia’s war against Ukraine. While reporting the story, Bhanu spoke to the families of those affected and documented their experiences. The report was later taken into account by the United Nations in its findings on human rights violations linked to the war in Ukraine.<br> <br> For Bhanu, the zeal to produce meaningful and impactful journalism remains at the heart of his work.<br> <br>He has previously worked with Firstpost, NDTV, Newslaundry and Republic.<br><br> Bhanu studied at the Delhi School of Journalism, University of Delhi. He initially chose science with plans to pursue engineering, influenced by conventional expectations, but fate had other plans and eventually led him to journalism.<br><br> Beyond the newsroom, Bhanu enjoys exploring culture and history and often spends his days off on heritage walks. He is also passionate about travelling, biking and listening to folk music.<br> <br>For tips, reviews and suggestions, you can reach him at bhanu.pratap@htdigital.in.

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