Latest revision as of 22:03, 29 August 2026

[edit] The source of this article

INDIA 2012

A REFERENCE ANNUAL

Compiled by

RESEARCH, REFERENCE AND TRAINING DIVISION

PUBLICATIONS DIVISION

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

[edit] Arunachal Pradesh

Area : 83,743 sq km Population : 10,97,968 (as per 2001 census); 13.82 lakh (as per prov. census 2011)

Capital : Itanagar

Major Tribes : Monpa, Miji, Aka, Sherdukpen, Nyishi, Apatani, Tagin, Hill Miri, Adi, Digaru- Mismi, Idu-Mishmi, Khamti, Miju- Mishmi, Nocte, Tangsa and Wancho.

[edit] HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

Arunachal Pradesh became a full-fledged State on 20 February 1987. Till 1972, it was known as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA). It gained the Union Territory status on 20 January 1972 and renamed as Arunachal Pradesh. On 15 August 1975 an elected Legislative Assembly was constituted and the first Council of Ministers assumed office. The first general election to the Assembly was held in February 1978.

Administratively, the State is divided into sixteen districts. Capital of the State is Itanagar in Papum Para district. Itanagar is named after Ita fort meaning fort of bricks, built in 14th century AD.

Arunachal Pradesh finds mention in the literature of Kalika Purana and Mahabharata. This place is the Prabhu Mountains of the Puranas.

It was here that sage Parashuram atoned for his sin, sage Vyasa meditated, King Bismaka founded his kingdom and Lord Krishna married his Consort Rukmini. The widely scattered archaeological remains at different places in Arunachal Pradesh bear testimony to its rich cultural heritage.

[edit] AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE

Agriculture is the mainstay of the people of Arunachal Pradesh and mainly depends on jhum cultivation. Encouragement is being given to the cultivation of cash crops like potatoes and horticulture crops like apples, oranges and pineapples.

[edit] INDUSTRIES AND MINERALS

For conservation and exploration of the vast minerals the Arunachal Pradesh Mineral Development and Trading Corporation Limited (APMDTCL) was set up in 1991. Namchik-Namphuk coal fields are taken up by APMDTCL. To provide training to craftsmen in different trades there are two Industrial Training Institutes at Roing and Daporijo.

[edit] FESTIVALS

Some of the important festivals of the State are: Mopin and Solung of the Adis, Lossar of the Monpas, Boori-boot of the Hill Miris, Sherdukpens, Dree of the Apatanis, Si-Donyi of the Tagins, Reh of the ldu-Mishmis, Nyokum of the Nishis, etc. Animal sacrifice is a common ritual in most festivals.

[edit] TOURIST CENTRES

Places of tourist interest are : Tawang, Dirang, Bomdila, Tipi, Itanagar Malinithan, Likabali, Pasighat, Along, Tezu, Miao, Roing, Daporijo Namdapha, Bhismaknagar, Parashuram Kund and Khonsa.

[edit] PANCHAYATI RAJ

The Arunachal Pradesh State Election Commission in support of State Government has sucessfully conducted and completed Panchayati Raj Elections in the State in the month of May 2008 for speedy development in the village and grass root level.

[edit] GOVERNMENT

Governor : General (Retd.) J.J. Singh Chief Secretary : Shri Tabom Bam Chief Minister : Shri Nobam Tuki

Jurisdiction of High Court: Falls under Guwahati

[edit] AREA, POPULATION AND HEADQUARTERS OF DISTRICTS

S .No. District Area (sq km) Population Headquarters

(Census 2001)

1 Tawang 2,172 38,924 Tawang

2. West Kameng 7,422 74,599 Bomdila

3. East Kameng 4,134 57,179 Seppa

4. Papum-Pare 2,875 1,22,003 Yupia

5. Lower Subansiri 10,135 98,244 Ziro and Kurung Kumey

6. Upper Subansiri 7,032 55,346 Daporijo

7. West Siang 8,325 1,03,918 Along

8. East Siang 4,005 89,397 Pasighat

9. Upper Siang 6,188 33,363 Yingkiong

10. Dibang and 13,029 57,720 Anini Lower Dibang Valley

11. Lohit and Anjaw 11,402 1,43,527 Tezu

12. Changlang 4,662 1,25,422 Changlang

13. Tirap 2,362 1,00,326 Khonsa

[edit] Boundaries, map, names of places

[edit] Map: 2026

Prabin.Kalita, August 9, 2026: The Times of India

Guwahati: India has mapped three China-occupied frontier pockets in Arunachal Pradesh along the McMahon Line, putting a sharper spotlight on pressure points where People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops have built structures.

The recent mapping includes disputed areas of Longju, Bisa and Maja in Upper Subansiri district, which are under “adverse” Chinese occupation, as well as Thag La in Tawang — considered sensitive.

It brings renewed attention to Longju, which was occupied by China in 1959. Maja carries particular strategic weight. India maintained a forward military post, Maja Camp, before the 1962 war. It was vacated during the war, and the area came to be treated as disputed. PLA has since built structures across the mountainous stretch, according to the latest assessment.

Bisa, too, has seen Chinese construction. A road built by Chinese forces runs through the area, linking two points along the disputed frontier. “Both Maja and Bisa are strategically important sectors where the difficult terrain and absence of clearly demarcated ground positions have historically complicated patrolling and surveillance,” a source said. The McMahon Line is the boundary drawn in 1914 between Tibet and British India that India regards as its northeastern frontier with China. Beijing rejects it.

The 27 locations covered by the mapping exercise span more than disputed land. They include frontier stretches, passes, a lake and a monument. But the sharper story lies in a smaller cluster of strategic pockets — Maja, Longju, Yangtse, Thag La and others — where geography, competing claims and military presence have repeatedly collided.

Defence assessments a decade ago identified six disputed and four sensitive pockets along Arunachal’s border, prompting heightened surveillance of Chinese activity. The disputed areas were Asaphila, Longju, Bisa and Maja in Upper Subansiri, and Tulung La and Yangtse in Tawang. Asaphila, which is also under illegal Chinese occupation, is yet to be mapped. Yangtse has been another pressure point. In Sept 2016, Chinese troops entered Yangtse and withdrew after four days following a flag meeting. In Oct 2021, PLA troops again attempted to cross into the Indian side between Bum-La and Yangtse, triggering a face-off. Tawang saw a more serious clash in Dec 2022, when Indian and Chinese troops fought after PLA forces entered an area where the two sides have differing perceptions of the McMahon Line.

India’s mapping extends beyond disputed pockets. Thag La, a pass in Tawang and one of the four areas earlier classified as sensitive rather than disputed, has also been mapped. It was a major flashpoint in 1962.

Dichu in Anjaw, along Arunachal’s eastern extremity, is another sensitive stretch mapped earlier. Two other sensitive pockets — Fishtail-1 in Dibang Valley and Fishtail-2 in Anjaw — remain unmapped. Both were occupied by PLA troops during the 1962 war before Chinese forces withdrew after Beijing announced a unilateral ceasefire.

The broader frontier has repeatedly seen Chinese transgressions, construction activity and confrontations.

“India’s mapping of these locations is significant not merely as a cartographic exercise but as a formal documentation of the frontier’s contested and sensitive pockets, which gives New Delhi a stronger record to challenge any Chinese attempt to alter the status quo on the ground,” the source said.

[edit] Place names standardised, 2026

Prabin Kalita & Bharti Jaintnn, Aug 9, 2026: The Times of India

Guwahati/New Delhi: The updated Survey of India map has assigned standard place and feature names to 27 Arunachal Pradesh sites, including four mountain passes and a high-altitude lake, as part of the Union govt’s strategy to remove any ambiguity on demarcation of territory and counter China’s repeated attempts to rename places on this side of McMahon Line.

The MHA said on Friday that the names were finalised in consultation with the Arunachal Pradesh govt. “Identifying them formally on the Survey of India map is aimed at facilitating their accurate recognition and better awareness among the public.”

Of the 27 sites identified on the map, one is a monument. Three of the rest — Longju, Maja & Bisa — are strategically important border villages in Upper Subansiri district. There are also three passes along McMahon Line, Dzo La, Riza La and Pukur La, in the same district. Thag La pass, a 1962 battleground, lies on the border in Tawang district.

“These places are already marked on Indian military maps, even those of 1962 vintage. Identifying them on Survey of India map is a bold counter to China,” a source said.

Several of the named sites carry the weight of India-China conflict. Longju was one of the earliest flashpoints in the boundary dispute and was occupied by Chinese troops in 1959. Thag La overlooks Namka Chu valley, where the 1962 conflict began after Chinese forces crossed McMahon Line.

Jaswant Garh, in Tawang, commemorates Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, one of the most celebrated heroes of 1962 war. The Sher-e-Thapa Memorial in Upper Subansiri honours Hav Shere Thapa, whose resistance at Rio Bridge significantly delayed the Chinese advance in 1962. The lone lake named is Sambho Sarovar, a high-altitude glacial lake.

The remaining land areas include Bara Kundun, Chhota Kundun and Dhan Bari in Anjaw district; Pritnagar, Buddhamandir, Jairampur, Teritnagar and Ramnagar in Changlang; Sagar, Padma, Jyotinagar and Baisakhi in West Kameng; Chhota Ropuk and Bara Ropuk in Upper Subansiri; and Shiva ji Nagar, Sunpura and Kamlang Nagar in Lohit.

In April, China announced Chinese names for 23 locations in Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing refers to as “South Tibet”. The external affairs ministry then said assigning “fictitious names” wouldn’t alter the reality that Arunachal Pradesh “was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India”. China has carried out similar renaming exercises periodically.

McMahon Line demarcates boundary between India and China in eastern sector, separating Arunachal from Tibet.

[edit] War memorials

Surendra.Singh, August 9, 2026: The Times of India

New Delhi: Sher-e-Thapa Memorial, set up in memory of 1962 China war hero Havildar Shere Thapa, is one of the 27 places in Arunachal that Union govt formally gave standard names on the official Indian map.

Havildar Shere Thapa of the 2nd Battalion, Jammu & Kashmir Rifles, was credited with saving Subansiri Valley during the 1962 Chinese aggression. He was part of a team to delay the advance of the enemy. On Nov 18, 1962, undaunted by the advance of Chinese troops, he continued to engage the enemy from his position despite his buddy succumbing to enemy action. The Chinese suffered heavy losses and their advance was delayed by 72 hours. The Army installed a memorial in his name.

Ramnagar Jaswant Garh, which houses the memorial of Jaswant Singh Rawat on Tawang Road, is also in the list. Honoured for his extraordinary bravery at the Battle of Nuranang during the 1962 war, he played a big role in holding off enemy forces for 72 hours.

[edit] Population by religion

[edit] 2011 census

Cong: A Bid To Polarise Voters In UP, Feb 14, 2017: The Times of India

Hindu population in Arunachal Pradesh and India; Cong: A Bid To Polarise Voters In UP, Feb 14, 2017: The Times of India

As per the Census 2011, Christians in Arunachal Pradesh grew from 18.7% of the total population in 2001to become the most dominant religious group at 30.26%.Hindus declined from 34.6% of the population to 29.04%, and are no longer the largest religious group in the state.Those following other faiths, mostly indigenous, were also lower at 26.2% in 2011compared to 30.7% 10 years ago.

[edit] Wildlife parks and sanctuaries: India

[edit] NAMDAPHA NATIONAL PARK

Namdapha with its unique geographic location (a meeting point of different zoo-geographic ones) and varied altitudes is an ideal home for a diversity of life. It is well spread out with heights ranging from 200 mt. to 4500 mt. At lower heights one can find wet evergreen forests; in the middle level, deciduous forests; and at higher elevations, one can see conifers and alpine forests. Namdapha is nature's bounty both for a botanist and a zoologist. This area, till date, has not been studied completely and the possibilities of new discoveries are always there. It is also the eastern most refuge for the Indian Tiger. The Sanctuary also sustains two other big cats, the Clouded leopard and the leopard.

Location

Margherita (62 km)

Access 180.7 sq. Kms

Best season to visit: October to March

Access

By Air - Dibrugarh (163 km) By Rail - Ledo (56 km)

Accommodation

Government Tourist Lodge Miao, Rest House at Namchik

Contact

Field Director, Project Tiger, P.O. Miao, Distt. Tirap, Arunachal Pradesh

[edit] Arunachal Pradesh: The Scheduled Tribes Census of India 2001

Census India.gov.in

The total population of Arunachal Pradesh in 2001 Cen sus has been 1,097,968. Of these 705,158 persons are Scheduled Tribes (STs), const ituting 64.2 per cent of the total population. The state has registered a decadal g rowth of 28.1 per cent of ST population in 1991-2001 Census.

2.The list of STs in Arunachal Pradesh is open in nature. According to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Lists (Modification) Order, 1956 and as inserted by Act 69 of 1986 states, the STs in the state a re “All tribes of the State including: Abor, Aka, Apatani, Dafla, Galong, Khampt i, Khowa, Mishmi, Monpa, Momba, Any Naga tribes, Sherdukpen, Singpho”. The notificat ion gives only an illustration of a few STs. In 2001 Census, total of 100 STs have been enu merated. Twenty-five of them have returned 5,000 and above population (Statement-1).

[edit] Population: Size & Distribution

3.District wise, Lower Subansiri, Upper Subansiri, East K ameng, Tirap, and West Siang are predominantly ST districts with the proport ion of ST population 80 per cent and above. These districts together share half of the t otal ST population of the state (Statement-2).

4.The STs in Arunachal Pradesh are predominantly living in rural areas (86 per cent). Individual ST wise, Wanchos have returned 2.3 pe r cent urban population. The percentage of urban population is less than five per cen t among several of the Tangsa tribes. However, Apatani has returned 51.4 per cent urban population.

[edit] Sex Ratio

5.Arunachal Pradesh has recorded more females in the pop ulation with sex ratio of 1003. In contrary to this overall situation, Any Nag a Tribes have recorded a low sex ratio of 887.

6.The child sex ratio (0-6 years) of 976 for STs is hig her than the aggregated national figure (973) for the same category. Deori ha ve recorded a low sex ratio of 906. The child sex ratio of above 1000 has been recorded amo ng Apatani, Bangni, Dafla, Tawang Monpa, Nissi, and Tangsa.

[edit] Literacy & Educational Level

7.Among STs, 49.6 per cent of the population has be en returned as literate, which is just below the national average (47.1 per cent). As many as thirteen STs have overall literacy level below 50 per cent .While male literacy is at 58.8 per cent, female literacy is only 40.6 per cent. The female literacy is depressed as se venteen STs have recorded literacy below 50 per cent. At the individual level, D eori, Khampti, and Apatani have recorded literacy rate of 70 per cent and above, while for Wancho it is low at 25.4 per cent. The lowest literacy level for both male and fem ale have been noted among the Wancho with male and female literacy rate of 35.9 per cent and 14.6 per cent respectively (Statement-3).

8.Among STs, 56.4 per cent of the children in the age group 5-14 years are attending schools or any other educational institutions. Apatani have recorded a high of 86.1 per cent and Wancho a low of only 31.2 per cent o f their population of this age group attending educational institutions. Besides Apatan i, the Deori, Khampti, and Adi Padam have recorded student population of 70 per cent and above of this stipulated age category.

9.Among ST literates, 3.5 per cent are having educatio nal level graduation and above. The Abor, Adi, Apatani, and Adi Padam have r ecorded more than 5 per cent of their literates having this status. Wancho, Aka, Bangni , Miji, and Nocte are quite lagging behind in higher education having the percentage of t he total literates having educational level graduation and above of just around one per cent.

[edit] Work Participation Rate (WPR)

10.The percentage of workers to total population (WPR) among the STs is 43 per cent. The female WPR at 41.2 per cent is just lower th an male (44.8 per cent). Of the total workers, the main and marginal workers are 84.4 per cent and 15.6 per cent respectively. Like male workers (88.8 per cent), a larg proportion of females (79.7 per cent) have also been returned as main workers (State ment-4).

[edit] Category of Workers

11.An overwhelming 75.1 per cent of the ST main work ers have been registered as cultivators and merely 1.1 per cent as agricultural labourers.

12.Individual ST wise, Wancho (91.3 per cent), Mishmi ( 87.1 per cent), Nocte (83.7 per cent), Dafla (83.4 per cent), Miji (82.3 pe r cent), Tangsa (82.1 per cent), and Adi Minyong (80.2 per cent) have recorded more than 80 per cent of their main workers as cultivators. It is, however, interesting that Apata ni – the famous terrace cultivators of Arunachal Pradesh – have registered only 39.1 per cent cultivators.

[edit] Marital Status

13.As regards marital status, 58.4 per cent of the ST p opulation is never married, 37.3 per cent currently married, 3.8 per cent widowed, and 0.5 per cent divorced & separated.

14.Among STs, 1.5 per cent of the females below 18 yea rs – the minimum legal age for marriage - have been registered as ever marri ed. The highest 2.5 per cent ever.

married females of this stipulated age have been regi stered among Nishang. This percentage is low among Nocte (0.6 per cent), Wancho (0 .5 per cent), Khampti (0.7 per cent), Idu/Chulikata Mishmi (0.8 per cent), Tangsa (0.9 per cent), and Mishmi (0.8 per cent).

15.The ever married males below 21 years – the minimu m legal age for their marriage – constitute 1.8 per cent. The ever married males of this stipulated age among Nishang constitute a high of three per cent, which is hi gher than the state average for all STs.

[edit] Religion

16.Of the total ST population, 47.2 per cent has been returned under the category of “Other Religion Followers”. Besides, 26.5 p er cent of the STs are Christians, 13.1 per cent Hindus, and 11.7 per cent Budhists. In Aru nachal Pradesh, unlike Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur, considerable ST popul ation are still adhering to original tribal faith. Individual ST wise, Khampti, Monpa, Momba, Sherdukpen, and Singpho are mostly the followers of Buddhism, while q uite sizeable population among Adi, Nishi, Nocte, and Wancho have been converted to Ch ristianity.

[edit] Chakma, Hajong refugees

[edit] 2015: Arunachal Pradesh opposes Indian citizenship

The Times of India, Oct 27 2015

Chakmas, Hajongs can't get Indian citizenship

The Arunachal Pradesh government told the Supreme Court that Chakmas and Hajong refugees who migrated to India from Bangladesh in 1964-69 and settled in the state cannot be granted Indian citizenship. In a review petition filed in the Supreme Court, the state government pleaded the court to re-examine its verdict directing it and the Centre to grant citizenship to the refugees within three months. It said the SC erred in passing order without hearing the state government. “Out of total 4637 applications, 4213 applications for citizenship do not fulfil the criteria of signing of oath of allegiance, as per the second schedule to the Citizenship Act, 1955 and police verification of character and antecedents required re-verification.The verification had to be done for only those Chakma-Hajongs who were accommodated between 1964-1969. These relevant aspects have not been considered at all and there are errors apparent in the judgment,“ the petition said.

The apex court in September 2015 said Chakmas had a right to be granted citizenship and they could not be discriminated against in any manner. It directed the government to take all necessary steps to protect them as they are facing hostility from the local population.

[edit] See also

Arunachal Pradesh (home page)

Arunachal Pradesh ‘hump’

Arunachal Pradesh: Birds

Arunachal Pradesh: Demographics/ Religion

Arunachal Pradesh: Fauna

Arunachal Pradesh: Flora

Arunachal Pradesh: Local bodies' elections

Arunachal Pradesh: Parliamentary elections

Arunachal Pradesh: Political history…