India has lost access to 26 out of 65 Patrolling Points in eastern Ladakh

India has lost access to 26 out of 65 Patrolling Points (PP) in eastern Ladakh, according to one of the research papers submitted at last week’s annual police meets in Delhi.

What are Patrolling Points?

• PPs are patrolling points identified and marked on the LAC, which are patrolled with a stipulated frequency by the security forces.
• They serve as a guide to the location of the LAC for the soldiers, acting as indicators of the extent of ‘actual control’ exercised on the territory by India.
• By regularly patrolling up to these PPs, the Indian side is able to establish and assert its physical claim about the LAC.

Who has given these Patrolling Points?

• These PPs have been identified by the high-powered China Study Group, starting from 1975 when patrolling limits for Indian forces were specified.
• It is based on the LAC after the government accepted the concept in 1993, which is also marked on the maps with the Army in the border areas.
• But the frequency of patrolling to PPs is not specified by the CSG – it is finalised by the Army Headquarters in New Delhi, based on the recommendations made by the Army and ITBP.