Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura Dispute
The Border Flashpoint
The Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura region is a territorial dispute between India and Nepal, intensified since 2020 when India released a new political map including these areas within Uttarakhand.
- Kalapani: A high-altitude area (~372 sq km) at the trijunction of India, Nepal, and China (Tibet); administered by India as part of Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district; Nepal claims it based on the interpretation that the Kali River's source is at Limpiyadhura
- Lipulekh Pass: A strategic mountain pass (~5,334 m) in the same region; India inaugurated a road to it in May 2020 — triggering Nepal's formal protest
- Nepal's response: Nepal released a new political map in May 2020 showing Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura within Nepal; Parliament passed it as a constitutional amendment (Second Amendment to Article 8 of Nepal's Constitution, June 2020)
- Strategic significance: Lipulekh pass is the shortest route to Kailash-Mansarovar (Tibet); it lies on the India-China boundary near the Tibetan plateau — making it a tri-junction with China
- Root cause: Different interpretations of the 1816 Sugauli Treaty (British India-Nepal) and subsequent survey records
- India's position: The Kalapani area has been under Indian administration since 1962 (post-China war), when Indian troops were deployed; India considers it part of Uttarakhand
● Tracked since March 24, 2026 · last seen August 12, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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