In a move that underlines India’s assertion of territorial identity in Ladakh, the Government has formally identified 28 places and geographical features in the Union Territory by standard names on official Survey of India maps.The move assumes significance against the backdrop of China’s attempts to rename places in areas along the disputed India-China border in an effort to reinforce its territorial claims.By formally recording the names on official Indian maps, New Delhi has sought to ensure that the features are consistently recognised in government records and by the public.The names include peaks, mountains, passes, glaciers, valleys, rivers, lakes and other geographical features spread across Ladakh.Among the peaks and mountains named are Atisha Giri, Kanishka Peak, Karun Pir, Martand Giri, Zorawar Peak, Drak Karpo, Rinchen Zangpo, Sakyasri Giri, Marpa Lotsava Ri, Milarepa Kangri, Shiva Ri and Maheshvara Ri.The list also includes Chapchingal Pass and Shachmirk Pass, Parpik and Skamri glaciers, Shkorga Valley and Yangpa River. Guru Rinpoche has been identified as a lake, while several other locations have been classified as land areas.The Government said the names had been identified in consultation with the Union Territory administration and formally incorporated into the Survey of India map of Ladakh to facilitate their “accurate recognition” and create greater public awareness.The move comes amid border tensions between India and China along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.China has, in recent years, announced its own names for places in Arunachal Pradesh and areas it claims in the border region. India has rejected such renaming exercises, maintaining that assigning invented names does not alter the status of territory.The latest exercise differs from merely issuing a political statement, as the names are being incorporated into official Survey of India cartographic records.The 28 features include geographically and culturally significant names such as Zorawar Peak, associated with General Zorawar Singh’s campaigns in Ladakh, and Guru Rinpoche, the revered Buddhist master also known as Padmasambhava.The Survey of India has made the updated map of Ladakh, including the additional features, available on its official website.