New Delhi:

China has responded to India’s objection of its new “standard” map – which claims ownership of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region in eastern Ladakh – calling it “the normal exercise of sovereignty in accordance with law”. Wang Xiaojian, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, shared details of a briefing by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, in which he said, “We hope relevant sides stay objective and calm, and refrain from over-interpreting the issue.”

On Tuesday External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had summarily dismissed China’s new “map”, telling NDTV in an exclusive interview Beijing has a “habit” of releasing such maps.

“China has put out maps with territories (that are) not theirs. (It is an) old habit. Just by putting out maps with parts of India… this doesn’t change in anything. Our government is very clear about what our territory. Making absurd claims does not make other people’s territories yours,” he said.

READ | “Absurd Claims Don’t Make…” S Jaishankar To NDTV On China’s New Map

India has filed a formal protest through diplomatic channels, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi posted on X (formerly Twitter) after the release of the “map”.

Our response to media queries on the so called 2023 “standard map” of China:https://t.co/OZUwNRNritpic.twitter.com/sAmy20DEa6

— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) August 29, 2023

“We reject the claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question,” the Indian government said in its response.

Timing Of China’s New Map

China’s new “map” comes days before India hosts the G20 Summit in Delhi next weekend and shortly after last week’s “informal conversation” between China President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in South Africa.

The Prime Minister had then conveyed to Mr Jinping India’s “concerns over unresolved issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and other areas along the India-China border”.

READ | PM Modi, Xi Jinping Agree On “Expeditious De-Escalation” In Ladakh

The two leaders agreed to work for “expeditious de-escalation” along the LAC, where tensions have been high since June 2020 – when the two sides clashed in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley.

Mr Jinping is due in Delhi next week to attend the G20 Summit.

India On China ‘Renaming’ Places In Arunachal

In April the Indian government rejected China’s bid to rename 11 locations within Arunachal Pradesh, which it also calls ‘Zangnan’ – the third time Beijing has attempted such an egregious move after 2018 and 2021 – and asserted the northeastern state has been and will always be an integral part of India.

READ |“Invented Names”: India Rejects China ‘Renaming’ Places In Arunachal

“We have seen such reports. This is not the first time China has made such an attempt. We reject this outright,” Mr Bagchi had said then, adding, “Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Attempts to assign invented names will not alter this reality.”

Opposition attacks PM Modi

Meanwhile, China’s new “map” has triggered a political row in India, with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi today taking on PM Modi and demanding a response from the Prime Minister.

READ | “Entire Ladakh Knows…”: Rahul Gandhi After China Releases New Map

“I have been saying for years that what the PM said, that not one inch of land was lost in Ladakh, is a lie. The entire Ladakh knows that China has transgressed. This map issue is very serious. They have taken away the land. PM should say something about it,” Mr Gandhi said.

New Delhi:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today demanded a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in response to China’s release of a map that claims ownership of Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, which has been categorically rejected by India.

On Monday, China released a new “standard” map that shows Aksai Chin, which it occupied in the 1962 war, and Arunachal Pradesh, which it claims as South Tibet, as part of its territory. The map also shows the entire South China Sea as part of China, as it had in previous editions.

“I have been saying for years that what the PM said, that not one inch of land was lost in Ladakh, is a lie. The entire Ladakh knows that China has transgressed. This map issue is very serious. They have taken away the land. PM should say something about it,” Rahul Gandhi said while leaving for Karnataka.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told NDTV in an exclusive interview that the map meant nothing and China has a ‘habit’ of releasing such maps. 

“China has put out maps with territories (that are) not theirs. (It is an) old habit. Just by putting out maps with parts of India… this doesn’t change in anything. Our government is very clear about what our territory. Making absurd claims does not make other people’s territories yours,” Mr Jaishankar told NDTV.

India has initiated protests through diplomatic channels over the “standard” map. 

“We reject the claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement. 

The map has surfaced at a critical time as India gears up for the G20 Summit scheduled for September 9-10. 

PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to work for “expeditious de-escalation” along the entire Line of Actual Control (LAC) during their meeting at the BRICS summit in South Africa this month. 

China announced new Chinese names for 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh in early April. India rejected the renaming, asserting that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and that assigning “invented” names does not alter the reality that the northeastern state is under Indian administration.

This was China’s civil affairs ministry’s third addition to the first batch of six places released in 2017 and the second batch of 15 places released in 2021.

The ties between India and China were severely strained by the eastern Ladakh border standoff that began in May 2020 following which troops of both countries have been locked in an over three-year confrontation amid several talks of de-escalation. 

Rollout of rover of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 from the lander to the lunar surface, as observed by Lander Imager Camera. File.
| Photo Credit: PTI

India protests China’s map claiming Indian territory, MEA says it ‘complicates’ border resolution

India has lodged a “strong protest” with China over the publication of a new map that was released by the Chinese government on August 28, showing all of Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, and other parts of Indian territory within its borders, that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called “absurd claims”. The map, that has in the past claimed Indian territories as well, was published just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and discussed resolving the boundary situation. 

Pragyan rover confirms sulphur at moon’s south pole, searching for hydrogen

Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan rover has confirmed the presence of sulphur on the moon’s surface, near its south pole, and is still searching for hydrogen, the Indian Space Research Organisation said. The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard the Chandrayaan-3’s rover has made the first-ever in-situ measurements on the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the south pole.

India to export rice to Singapore despite curbs, says External Affairs Ministry

India will allow export of rice to Singapore despite restrictions on export of the product. The announcement from the Ministry of External Affairs came as the authorities cited the special relationship between India and Singapore as the reason for this exemption. India had imposed restrictions on export of non-Basmati rice but subsequently, curbs were imposed on Basmati rice as well.

NHRC notice to Uttar Pradesh for attack on Muslim student in private school

Days after a video showing a teacher of a private school in Muzaffarnagar asking Hindu students of her class to beat a Muslim student went viral and sparked nationwide outrage, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government seeking a detailed report on the matter. The commission quoted media reports of the victim’s family saying that he was beaten up for a mistake in the multiplication of tables during the class. The reports also stated that the teacher, who also owns the school, has not been arrested yet.

Gyanvapi mosque | Fresh plea in court to order ASI survey inside Wazukhana

One of the Hindu petitioners in the Gyanvapi mosque worship rights suit has filed a fresh application in the court of Varanasi District Judge pleading for directions to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake a survey of the Wazukhana area of the mosque (except for the Shiva Linga) without causing any damage to the structure. This main suit seeking worship rights at the mosque was filed in the same court by four Hindu women worshippers.

Rahul Gandhi’s Europe trip to coincide with G-20 meeting in New Delhi

At the time when India will host the heads of the government of G-20 countries, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Europe and will interact with European Union lawmakers. He will also address students at a university in Paris. Mr. Gandhi is likely to leave for Paris in the first week of September for a five-day tour and will meet with European Union members in Brussels on September 7. During the visit, organised Indian Overseas Congress, Mr. Gandhi will address the Indian diaspora at an event in Oslo in early September, a party insider told the The Hindu.

Will cooperate with Bengal Government on what it does, not whatever it does: Governor Anand Bose

West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose has said that he would always cooperate with the State Government but that support may not extend to “whatever it does”. Mr. Bose, in his free-wheeling interview said, “As the Governor, I will cooperate with the [State] government on what it does, not whatever it does.” “Each should play their role within their turf. Everyone has a ‘Lakshman Rekha’. Don’t cross the ‘Lakshman Rekha’. And most importantly, don’t try to draw the ‘Lakshman Rekha’ for the other. That is the spirit of cooperative federalism,” the Governor said.

Nitish Kumar predicts early Lok Sabha polls, stresses Opposition unity

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has predicted early Lok Sabha polls, due in 2024. He called for Opposition unity as a priority so that the BJP could be defeated. The Janata Dal-United (JD-U) supremo reiterated that he had no personal desire to hold any post in the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) Opposition grouping.

Army signs deals for 130 tethered drones and 19 tank driving simulators

The Army has signed contracts for the procurement of 130 tethered drones and 19 tank-driving simulators under Emergency Procurement (EP) and they will be delivered in 12 months. The armed forces are currently executing the fourth tranche of EPs sanctioned by the Defence Ministry. In the last few months, the Army has issued several tenders for a range of drones and technologies including logistics, load-carrying drones, anti-drone systems, and loitering munitions, among others.

Keralites hark back to a utopian pastoral past as they celebrate Onam worldwide

Keralites continued to celebrate Thiru Onam, a festival monumentalising a utopian, egalitarian, non-discriminatory pastoral past that primarily existed in myth and imagination, with family feasts, floral decorations, fireworks, new clothes, group games and exchange of gifts, on Monday and Tuesday. Founded on a fable, Onam has evolved over the years as a secular national festival for Keralites. It has become a cultural holiday for Malayalis, regardless of their religious backgrounds

Air pollution now a major risk to life expectancy in South Asia: Study

Rising air pollution can cut life expectancy by more than five years per person in South Asia, one of the world’s most polluted regions, according to a report which flagged the growing burden of hazardous air on health. India is responsible for about 59% of the world’s increase in pollution since 2013, the report said, as hazardous air threatens to shorten lives further in some of the country’s more polluted regions. In the densely populated New Delhi, the world’s most polluted mega-city, the average life span is down by more than 10 years.

Prannoy achieves career-high world ranking of No. 6, Sindhu jumps to No 14

On a high after his maiden World Championship bronze medal, Indian shuttler H.S. Prannoy soared to career-high world ranking of No 6 in the latest BWF rankings published on Tuesday. The 31-year-old Kerala shuttler, who eliminated world Number 1 and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen en route to his maiden World Championships bronze, rose three spots with 72437 points in his kitty. He is also the only Indian shuttler, who has maintained a top-10 rank since December last year.

Beijing:

China has officially released the 2023 edition of its “standard map,” which shows the state of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region as part of its territory.

The map released on August 28 shows Arunachal Pradesh which China claims as South Tibet and Aksai Chin occupied by it in the 1962 war as part of its territory. Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea are also included within the Chinese territory in the new map.

The map also incorporates China’s claims over the nine-dash line thus laying claim to a large part of the South China Sea.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei have all claims over the South China Sea areas.

The map was released by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources during the celebration of Surveying and Mapping Publicity Day and the National Mapping Awareness Publicity Week on Monday in Deqing county, Zhejiang province, as per China Daily newspaper.

Recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra had said in his conversation with President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Modi highlighted India’s concerns on unresolved issues along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas.

“The Prime Minister underlined that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas and observing and respecting the LAC are essential for the normalisation of the India-China relationship. In this regard, two leaders agreed to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation,” Mr Kwatra had said.

The chief planner of China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Wu Wenzhong, said surveying, mapping and geographic information play an important role in boosting the development of the nation, meeting the needs of all walks of life, supporting the management of natural resources, and helping the construction of ecology and civilization.

“The next step will be to accelerate the application of geographic information data such as digital maps and navigation and positioning in the development of the digital economy, such as location-based services, precision agriculture, platform economy and intelligent connected vehicles,” Wu said, as per China Daily.

Zhejiang has in recent years focused on the deep integration of the digital and real economies and has continued to promote the development of the digital economy, according to Li Yaowu, deputy secretary-general of the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government.

China has territorial disputes with more countries than it shares its borders with. The Chinese Communist Party, the CCP, with Xi Jinping at the helm, has used deceitful tactics and manipulation in order to attempt to assert territorial control over other sovereign territories. Beijing has flouted all international norms in its expansionist bid to control more territory.

China has now staked claims on parts of Arunachal Pradesh, arguing that these locations were part of greater Tibet.

A desperate Beijing had in April this year unilaterally “renamed” as many as 11 Indian locations, which included names of mountain peaks, rivers and residential areas.

This is not the first time that Beijing has employed such tactics. Previously in 2017 and 2021, China’s Civil Affair Ministry had renamed other Indian locations triggering another political confrontation. New Delhi called out China’s expansionist plans then.

Previously, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Arindam Bagchi, while commenting on China’s attempt to show its domination in places belonging to India’s Arunachal Pradesh said: “This is not the first time that China has attempted something like this (changing the names of areas in Arunachal Pradesh) and we have already condemned any such attempts. Regarding Arunachal Pradesh, we had also said that Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of India) and imposing invented names like these will not at all change the reality.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

An Indian Army jawan looking at the India-China border through his telescope in Arunachal Pradesh. File.
| Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR

Assam Rifles files defamation suit against Manipur politician, seeks apology

Assam Rifles, the oldest paramilitary force in the country, has slapped a legal notice against a Manipur politician for causing “considerable harm to the reputation and standing of the organisation in the public eye.” It said the notice is being served for tarnishing the reputation and “discouraging and demoralising” the Central armed police force. Assam Rifles sought a “written” and “public” apology for the false allegation and defamation asking him to retract the statement he made at ‘Condolence of Meitei Martyrs’ in Delhi on June 30.

China releases new official map, showing territorial claims

China’s government released the “2023 edition of the standard map of China”, which continues to show the entire State of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region within China’s borders. The latest map follows Beijing in April announcing it would “standardise” the names of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, including a town close to the Arunachal Pradesh capital of Itanagar. This was the third such list “renaming” places in Arunachal Pradesh, and was seen by observers as a response to India holding events in the lead-up to the G-20 summit in the State, which Beijing had opposed. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the September 9-10 summit in New Delhi.

Only Centre can conduct census, Union tells SC in Bihar caste survey case

The Union government saidonly the Centre is entitled to conduct census, in its reply to the Supreme Court on the Bihar government’s caste-based survey. The Centre had filed an affidavit earlier on August 28 morning which said in its penultimate paragraph that “no other body is entitled to conduct the exercise of either census or any action akin to census”. Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to stay the uploading of data collected in the recently concluded Bihar caste-based survey while debunking claims that the Nitish Kumar government had violated the fundamental right to privacy by compelling people to reveal their caste.

Rajnath Singh to visit Sri Lanka this weekend, say defence sources

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka over the coming weekend, defence sources confirmed. The visit comes at a time when the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry is considering a fresh request from China to allow the visit of a research ship. Last week, the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry acknowledged receiving a request from the Chinese Embassy. The research vessel Shiyan-6 is expected to arrive in October. 

Article 35A took away fundamental rights while giving special rights to permanent residents of J&K, says CJI

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said Article 35A, which empowered the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature to define “permanent residents” of the State and provide them special privileges, denied fundamental rights to others. “Article 35A gave special rights and privileges to permanent residents and virtually took away the rights for non-residents. These rights included the right to equal opportunity of State employment, right to acquire property and the right to settle in Jammu and Kashmir,” Chief Justice Chandrachud, heading a Constitution Bench, observed on August 28.

India’s population growth alone is not enough to make its economy stronger, says Moody’s

India’s population growth would raise its labour force availability but that alone won’t be enough to make the economy stronger or improve fiscal outcomes, due to the quality of education in the country, Moody’s Investors Service said in a report on Monday. In a report on Sovereigns in South and South East Asia, titled ‘Population growth alone will not drive credit benefits for emerging economies’, the rating major said it expects continued population growth in the region to support economic expansion as working-age populations will remain large compared with younger and older citizens.

Warming Pacific points to rise in cyclones over India: Study

Tropical cyclones that originate near the Equator, while being devastating, have been unusually subdued in recent decades. The last major cyclone of this kind in the Indian neighbourhood was the 2017 Cyclone Okchi which devastated Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. However, a combination of global warming and a cyclical event called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) that repeats every 20-30 years, could make such cyclones more frequent in the coming years, a study published on Monday in the journal Nature Communications said.

Federal Judge sets March 4 date for historic Donald Trump trial

A federal judge has set a date of March 4, 2024, for Donald Trump’s election subversion conspiracy trial — placing one of the biggest criminal cases in American history at peak election season. Special counsel Jack Smith had asked for the trial of the 45th US president to begin on January 2, while Mr. Trump’s attorneys countered with a proposed date of April 2026 — 17 months after the election.

Fire in coach: Five from Uttar Pradesh arrested in Madurai by Tamil Nadu Railway Police

The Tamil Nadu Railway Police, have arrested five persons from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the fire that broke out in a coach and claimed nine lives near the Madurai railway junction on Saturday. The arrested persons have been accused of having carried inflammable articles on the train, in violation of Section 164 of the Railway Act.

U.S. raises concerns on India’s decision to curb tech imports

With the U.S. flagging concerns over India’s decision to impose import restrictions on certain electronic devices, both countries have agreed to find a solution to the issue that addresses the concerns of both nations, according to a statement of USTR. The issue was flagged during a meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai here on August 26.

Foxconn billionaire Terry Gou says he will seek Taiwan’s presidency as independent candidate

Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of the electronics giant Foxconn, declared that he will run as an independent candidate for president in Taiwan’s 2024 election, ending months of speculation. Mr. Gou’s Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., is a major supplier to Apple and has factories in China. He has long had presidential aspirations. He ran in the 2019 election but lost as Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party easily won re-election.

I have no personal desire to hold any post in INDIA, says Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday categorically said that he had no “personal desire” to hold any post in the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) ahead of the upcoming third meeting of the Opposition bloc in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. The buzz in political circles was that Mr. Kumar might be appointed as INDIA convener at its Mumbai meeting. Earlier, Mr. Kumar had initiated the meeting of Opposition parties in Patna on June 23 in which altogether 16 parties, including Congress, participated. The second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 18.

WB fireworks blast: toll climbs to nine, one arrested

The death toll in an explosion at an illegal fireworks factory at Mochpol area under Duttapukur police station in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district rose to nine on Monday with one more person succumbing to injuries. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her disappointment at a meeting of the State Cabinet today. She wanted to know why steps were not taken after she had sought action following an explosion at Egra in Purba Medinipur district. An explosion at an illegal fireworks factory at Egra on May 16 claimed 12 lives.