ARUNACHAL PRADESH AND NATIONAL SECURITY: INDIA’S SECURITY MEASURES AMIDST BORDER DISPUTES WITH CHINA

Abstract

Arunachal Pradesh holds a very important place when it comes to India’s national security architecture because of its 1,080 plus km border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region which a very difficult terrain and with a history of border standoffs between India and China. Over the last decade especially since 2020, the New Delhi has implemented a layered strategy to enhance deterrence, resilience and rapid response along the eastern sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This article examines the Indian government’s security measures in Arunachal Pradesh particularly discussing the six mutually reinforcing pillars: (1) military posture and logistics; (2) strategic infrastructure, notably all-weather surface connectivity via tunnels, bridges and border roads; (3) forward air mobility through the reactivation and upgrading of Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs); (4) border management and surveillance, including the expansion of border outposts and technology-enabled monitoring; (5) whole-of-government and community-centric initiatives to stabilize border villages; and (6) legal-administrative steps affecting adjacent frontiers that shape Arunachal’s security ecology. Examing the official releases and credible reporting, the paper highlights milestones such as the Sela Tunnel’s commissioning to secure all-weather access to the Tawang axis, the dedication of the Nechiphu Tunnel, the upgrading of multiple ALGs (Pasighat, Ziro and Aalo/Along among others) and the Border Roads Organisation’s (BRO) accelerated programme of roads and bridges. It assesses the Vibrant Villages Programme’s role in the state and the problem face by India - Myanmar border issue that indirectly influence the eastern-sector security. The analysis underscores capability gain such as faster troop induction, improved winter sustainment and greater operational endurance while acknowledging persistent challenges such as terrain, weather, dispersed settlements, logistics tails and crisis-communications with China. The article concludes with policy recommendations in order to deepen civil-military integration, scale resilient logistics, institutionalize risk-reduction mechanisms and accelerate the use of development to anchor long-term stability and deterrence of border tensions with China along the Arunachal frontier.