• The infrastructure on the Indo-China border is undergoing a major upgrade, more so in the aftermath of the border row that led to skirmishes with the Chinese troops in Galwan in 2020.

• Under the vibrant village initiative under the border area development programme, development will be pushed in the border villages by building roads, mobile towers, banks etc.
• Latest border tensions with China at multiple points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are more serious than past incidents, indicating China’s planning and the likelihood of a protracted stand-off.
• Therefore, the creation of infrastructure “would help integrate these areas with the hinterland, create a positive perception of care by the country and encourage people to stay on in the border areas leading to safe and secure borders”.

India- China Border:

• India and China share a 3,488 km long boundary. Unfortunately, the entire boundary is disputed. The line, which delineates the boundary between the two countries, is popularly called the McMahon line, after its author Sir Henry McMahon.
• In 1913, the British-India government had called a tripartite conference, in which the boundary between India and Tibet was formalized after a discussion between the Indian and the Tibetans. A Convention was adopted, which resulted in the delimitation of the Indo-Tibetan boundary. This boundary is, however, disputed by China which terms it as illegal.
• In 1957, China occupied Aksai Chin and built a road through it. This episode was followed by intermittent clashes along the border, which finally culminated in the border war of 1962.
• The boundary, which came into existence after the war, came to be known as Line of Actual Control (LAC). It is a military held line.

The Border Area Development Programme (BADP):

• The BADP was launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1986-87 as part of a comprehensive approach to Border Management.
• It was initiated for ensuring balanced development of border areas through development of infrastructure and promotion of a sense of security among the border population.