What's Census 2027 Biggest Confusion? User Claims Govt Portal Map Shows Arunachal’s Pasighat as China’s ‘Medog’; MapmyIndia Steps In

New Delhi: In a region where place names and borders are closely watched, even a small change on a digital map can draw attention. A social media post has now flagged exactly that an alleged mismatch on a government-linked Census platform involving a town in Arunachal Pradesh, a state that China has repeatedly laid claim to in the past. The claim centres around how a location was displayed during the Census 2027 self-enumeration process, bringing focus to the accuracy of digital mapping tools used in official systems.

What the Social Media Post Claims

X (formerly Twitter) user Mohonto Panging Pao (@MontyPanging) stated that while attempting self-enumeration on the official portal (se.census.gov.in), the map interface showed Pasighat as “Medog.” He pointed out that Medog is a town in China and questioned how such a label could appear for an Indian location.

The user tagged several officials and called for urgent attention. In the same post, he also mentioned Sundar Pichai while raising concerns about the mapping source being used.

A screenshot shared with the post shows the Census 2027 self-enumeration page, where the address box appears to read “Medog, Pasighat,” along with map coordinates and a pinned location.

Census 2027 and the Mapping Layer

Census 2027 is expected to be a largely digital exercise, with self-enumeration allowing citizens to submit their details online. As part of this system, users are required to confirm their address using an integrated map interface.

This map layer plays a key role in identifying and validating locations during the data collection process, making the accuracy of displayed place names important for official records.

MapmyIndia’s Response

Jumping quickly into the debate, MapmyIndia positioned itself as India’s trusted mapping provider while taking a clear swipe at foreign platforms. It posted on X- 

It stressed that Mappls relies on verified, sovereign Indian geographic data, not foreign databases that may carry geopolitical errors or Chinese place names. The company argued this incident shows why India needs a homegrown mapping solution for critical government infrastructure like Census 2027. 

MapmyIndia also urged Census authorities and the Prime Minister’s Office to reconsider the use of foreign map APIs, calling it a serious sovereignty and data accuracy concern. 

So Where is Pasighat?

Pasighat is located in the East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. It is one of the oldest towns in the state and lies along the Siang River, which later becomes the Brahmaputra in Assam.

The town functions as an important administrative and regional hub in the state and is situated in India’s northeastern region, relatively close to the India-China border.

Current Status

The claim is based on what the user reported seeing during a self-enumeration attempt on the Census 2027 portal, supported by a screenshot shared online. There has been no official response from Census authorities on the issue so far.

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