Indira Point
Indira Point, the southernmost point of India's territory, is a village in the Nicobar district at Great Nicobar Island of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India. It is located in the Great Nicobar tehsil. Rondo Island, Indonesia's northernmost island in Sabang district of Aceh province of Sumatra, lies 163 km south of Little Andaman Island, and 145 km or 80 nautical miles from Indira Point. India and Indonesia are upgrading the deep sea port Sabang under the strategic military and economic collaboration to protect the channel between Great Nicobar Island and Rondo Island (c. May 2019 ), which is 612 km or 330 nautical miles from Indira Point. Etymology. This village was named Indira Point after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The point was formerly known as Pygmalion Point and Parsons Point. It was renamed in honour of Indira Gandhi during mid-1980s. The announcement was made by the local Member of Parliament when Indira Gandhi visited the local light house on 19 February 1984. The official renaming ceremony happened on 10 October 1985. History. The Indira Point lighthouse was commissioned into service on 30 April 1972. Located 500 kilometres north of the epicenter of the 2004 Indian  Ocean earthquake, the southernmost tip subsided 4.25 metres after the earthquake, and many of the inhabitants went missing in the tsunami that followed. Sixteen to twenty families living next to the lighthouse and four scientists studying leatherback sea turtles were lost. Geography. Port Blair is connected to mainland India via air service. From Port Blair, Campbell Bay can be reached by Pawan Hans Helicopter service. Inter Island Boat from Port Blair is also available which usually travels via Little Andaman, Car Nicobar and Nancowry en route to Campbell Bay. MV Campbell Bay also operates once in a week from Port  Blair (Phoenix Bay) to Campbell Bay. Government is also constructing a 21 km road from Shashtri Nagar to Indira Point via a bridge on the Galathea river. The total length of the road from Zero Point to Indira Point will be 56 km and it will completed within next few years (c. 2017). This area is protected by the Indian Coast Guard. Galathea National Park and Lighthouse are the major attractions here. Administration. The village comes under the administration of Laxmi Nagar panchayat. Demographics. The village lost many of its residents in the 2004 tsunami. According to the 2011 census  of India, Indira Point has only 4 households left. The effective literacy rate (i.e. the literacy rate of population excluding children aged 6 and below) is 85.19%.