The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in consultation with the Union Territory of Ladakh administration, has standardised the names of 28 places and geographical features in the region. The names will feature on the official Survey of India (SoI) map of Ladakh, aimed at ensuring accurate recognition of the locations and greater public awareness, a PIB release stated.
The 28 features cover a range of geographical categories, including peaks, mountains, mountain passes, glaciers, valleys, rivers, lakes, water bodies and land areas. The government said the exercise will facilitate accurate recognition of the locations and improve awareness of their geographical significance.
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Among the peaks included in the list are Atisha Giri, Kanishka Peak, Martand Giri, Zorawar Peak, Rinchen Zangpo, Sakyasri Giri, Marpa Lotsava Ri, Milarepa Kangri, Shiva Ri and Maheshvara Ri. The identified mountains include Karun Pir, Drak Karpo and Jolmori.
Two mountain passes, Chapchingal Pass and Shachmirk Pass, have also been standardised. Parpik and Skamri have been identified as glaciers, while Shkorga Valley has been formally recorded as a valley.
▪️Government of India, in consultation with the Union Territory of Ladakh, has identified a total of twenty-eight (28) places/features, located in the UT of Ladakh, by standard place and feature names on the official map of Survey of India (SoI).
— PIB India (@PIB_India) October 2, 2026
▪️Identifying them formally on… pic.twitter.com/FO4eMDE4I7
According to the MHA, formally placing these locations on the official Survey of India map is aimed at facilitating their accurate recognition and better awareness among the public. The ministry added that the naming exercise was conducted in consultation with the Ladakh administration.
The list also includes several land areas and other geographical features, including Brangsa, Kuksel, Dehra Compass, Gogra, Kumarayana Point, Panglung and Shamal Lungpa. Guru Rinpoche has been identified as a lake, Yangpa as a river and Hot Spring as a water body.
Dehra Compass is among the features located in the disputed Aksai Chin region, which India claims and which is controlled by China, according to media reports.
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The standardisation comes amid Ladakh's strategic and geographical importance, with the Union Territory sharing international borders and comprising high-altitude mountainous terrain. The exercise will provide standardised names for the identified features on official maps and government records.
The move also comes against the backdrop of competing naming practices in disputed border regions. The formal inclusion of the 28 places and features on the Survey of India map provides standard references for their names and locations in official Indian cartographic records.
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