The Census 2027 portal came under scrutiny over the weekend after a local resident noticed that Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh was being tagged as the Medog region of China. Authorities have since updated the map — with reports indicating that it had been a technical integration failure.
The matter had come to light after retired fighter pilot and local resident Mohonto Panging Pao tried to register for self-enumeration on the government portal. India is currently undertaking its first fully digital Census —with citizens asked to fill details on a self-enumeration portal. The process requires locals to answer dozens of questions on housing and amenities and mark their residence on a map. The portal uses a
“Census 2027: During Self-Enumeration attempt on https://se.census.gov.in maps showing Pasighat, East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh as ‘Medog’! Medog is a town in China! CEO of Google Sundar Pichai is Indian! Even official Govt portals are virtually ceding our territory! Needs urgent intervention!” Pao wrote on X while sharing a screenshot.
Pasighat and Medog are two separate areas a little more than 100 kilometers apart, separated by the India-China border.
Indian authorities take action
The post had sparked outrage on social media with netizens lashed out at the government and Google Maps for sharing faulty data. Census officials later shared that the issue had been raised with the map service provider and resolved.
“An issue was mentioned during Self-Enumeration…regarding map location in Pasighat, East Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh today. The issue was raised with the map services provider, and it has been resolved,” the Office of the Registrar-General and Census Commissioner of India posted on X.
Where are Medog and Pasighat located?
Mêdog County is actually an area within the Tibet Autonomous Region that is administered by China. It is close to Pasighat in northern Arunachal Pradesh but lies beyond the Line of Control. Beijing has repeatedly laid claim to Indian territories over the years — with official documents often redrawing the map to include parts of Arunachal Pradesh including Pasighat. It is the oldest town in Arunachal Pradesh and a major administrative hub in the East Siang district.
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