New Delhi, Aug 8: The Central government has formally identified and standardised the names of 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh on the official maps of the Survey of India, a move that carries significant strategic and political importance amid China’s continued attempts to stake claims over the border State. The decision, taken by the Government of India in consultation with the Arunachal Pradesh government, aims to ensure that these locations are accurately represented on official maps and gain wider public recognition. Officials told The Assam Tribune that the exercise of standardising names on Friday, is intended to facilitate “accurate recognition and better awareness among the people”. The newly standardised features include 20 land areas, 4 mountain passes, one lake and one monument. Among the prominent locations are Longju, Maja, Bisa, Jaswant Garh, Sunpura, Kamlang Nagar, Shivaji Nagar and the strategically significant passes of Dzo La, Riza La, Pukur La and Thag La. Sambho Sarovar has been identified as a lake, while the Sher-e-Thapa Memorial has been officially recognised as a monument. The announcement comes against the backdrop of Beijing’s repeated attempts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, which China refers to as ‘Zangnan’ or the southern part of Tibet. Over the past few years, China has released multiple lists assigning Chinese names to dozens of locations in the Indian state, a move that India has consistently rejected. New Delhi has maintained that assigning “invented names” does not alter the reality that Arunachal Pradesh “was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India”. The Ministry of External Affairs has repeatedly dismissed Beijing’s renaming exercises as “vain and absurd”. “By formally incorporating these 27 names into the official Survey of India maps, the government has reinforced India’s administrative and cartographic assertion over the frontier state,” Brigadier BK Khanna (retd) told The Assam Tribune here. “The formal identification of these 27 places is another assertion of India’s sovereign authority over Arunachal Pradesh, strengthening the official geographical identity of locations in the border state while countering competing narratives over its territorial status,” Khanna added. Some of the identified locations also hold historical and military significance. Thag La, for instance, is associated with events leading to the 1962 India-China war, while Jaswant Garh commemorates the bravery of Indian soldiers during the conflict. Longju has also figured prominently in the history of India-China border tensions. It is believed that the exercise will improve the consistency of official documentation across Central and state government departments, reducing ambiguities in mapping, land records, developmental planning and border management. The Survey of India, the country’s national mapping agency, prepares and maintains India's official maps. The standardisation of place names is considered an essential component of national geospatial governance and aligns with international best practices for geographical naming.