About

• Katchatheevu Island, a 285-acre stretch, is located about 33 kilometres from the Indian coast, in the Palk Strait between Rameswaram in India and Sri Lanka. 
• Fishermen from both countries used the Katchatheevu Island, which was initially part of the Madras Presidency. 

• Katchatheevu had been a disputed territory between India and Sri Lanka since the British era.  A dispute broke out again after Independence over fishing rights around the island. 
• The Central government led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi agreed to cede it to the island nation under the 1974 “Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement.” 
• The island had little strategic value then, but over the last decade, geopolitical dimensions changed due to the rising clout of China and its growing influence over Sri Lanka, making it a location of strategic importance for India.