With the recent military standoff between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that claimed the lives of 26 people, the Indo-Pak border region with its long history of tensions is once again in the limelight.
India is the seventh largest nation in terms of land area in the world. It shares extensive land borders with seven countries across the northern, eastern, and western boundaries and maritime borders across the southern stretch in the Indian Ocean.
India-Pakistan Border
The border shared by India and Pakistan includes the 740 km-long Line of Control (LoC); and the International Border (IB), spanning roughly 2,400 km. The Line of Control (LoC) began as the Ceasefire Line in 1949 after the first India-Pakistan war. It was formally renamed as the LoC when India and Pakistan signed the Simla Agreement of 1972, following the Indo-Pak War of 1971. The LoC, the de facto border cutting through Kashmir, demarcating the Indian Administered part and the Pakistan Administered part, is one of the world바카라™s most militarised borders.
The Sir Creek line in the Rann of Kutch is a contested boundary.
India-China Border
India is separated from China by the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which demarcates the Chinese-controlled territories and the Indian-controlled ones. Since the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the 바카라˜Aksai Chin바카라™ area has remained a disputed region between India and China.
The LAC passes through several Indian states including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. In 1996, India and China inked an agreement on Confidence Building Measures in the military field along the LAC. In 2005, protocols were discussed on the modalities for the implementation. In 2013, the two countries signed a Border Defence Cooperation Agreement and in 2015, a Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) was established between them. However, in 2020, the Sino-India border standoff escalated to a violent clash in the Galwan Valley leading to casualties on both sides. In 2024, the official announcement of de-escalation and new patrolling arrangements with China were made.
India-Bangladesh Border
The border that India shares with Bangladesh passes through the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. Three years after the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, India and Bangladesh inked a Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) to settle the border demarcation. A contentious issue between the two nations remains India바카라™s decision to cover a stretch of the India-Bangladesh border with a fence as a security measure, which Bangladesh views as a violation of the border guidelines.
India-Nepal Border
The India-Nepal border passes through the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The border is an outcome of the Treaty of Sugauli, 1816, which ended the Anglo-Nepalese war. India has centuries-old ties with Nepal, based on shared geography, history, culture and religion. Over the years, India has maintained bilateral exchanges with Nepal.
India-Bhutan Border
India shares a border with landlocked Bhutan, which passes through the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal and Sikkim. After several boundary disputes during the British Raj, India in 1949 signed The Treaty of Perpetual Peace and Friendship with Bhutan to acknowledge the country바카라™s sovereignty. During 1973-1984, the border was refined through bilateral talks. In 2006, a final border demarcation treaty was signed between the two nations.
India-Myanmar Border
In 1967, Myanmar and India signed a boundary treaty defining the border region in detail. Earlier, India and Myanmar used to exercise a Free Movement Regime (FMR), which allowed border tribes to travel visa-free up to 16 km across the border. However, the practice was terminated by the Indian government in February 2024 due to the clashes in Manipur and illegal cross-border activities. As of now, there is no boundary dispute between India and Myanmar except for nine unresolved Boundary Pillars (BPs) along the India-Myanmar border in the Manipur sector.
Maritime Borders
India is separated from Sri Lanka by the Palk Strait in the south. The first India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) was delineated in 1974 by signing the Maritime boundary agreement. The IMBL was established to define exclusive economic zones, territorial waters, and other maritime zones to prevent future disputes and conflicts over maritime jurisdiction.
While the first agreement focused on the maritime boundary in waters between Adam바카라™s Bridge and the Palk Strait, the second one in 1976 defined the maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Mannar and the Bay of Bengal. What remained a disputed land between the two nations was the Katchatheevu Island in the Palk Strait. Back in 1921, India and Sri Lanka had claimed fishing rights in the waters around Katchatheevu. However, in 1974, India renounced its claim over the island and in 1976, India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement that prevented people from both countries from fishing in waters belonging to each other.
India shares a maritime border with the Maldives as well. The Maldives바카라™ location within the Indian Ocean makes it of strategic importance to India.
(Compiled by Jheelum Basu)
This article is part of Outlook Magazine's June 11, 2025 issue, 'Living on the Edge', which explores India바카라™s fragile borderlands and the human cost of conflict. It appeared in print as 'Sir Creek and Adam바카라™s Bridge.'
