NITI PASS

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Context

• China has started building a new link road and helipad at different locations like Poling Jindu and Sarang -- just opposite to India’s Niti Pass.

NITI Pass

• Niti Valley is a remote valley located in the northernmost region of Uttarakhand, India at a height of 3, 600 m.
• Nestled within the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, it is close to the Chinese border and Niti is the last village in the valley before the border with south Tibet.
• The Niti Pass was an ancient trade route between India and Tibet, and it was sealed after the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
• Since then, the border has remained sealed.
• The villages in the valley include Lata, Kaga, Dronagiri, Garpak, Malari, Bampa, Gamshali and Niti.
• They are mostly inhabited by Bhotiyas of Uttarakhand of Chamoli district, namely Marchas, a community of Mongoloid origin, and Tolcchas, both known as Rongpa.