---
title: "Katchatheevu Island: India–Sri Lanka Dispute"
description: "Katchatheevu is the Palk Strait island India ceded to Sri Lanka via the 1974 and 1976 accords. Why fishing rights and Tamil Nadu still contest it."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/katchatheevu-island"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Katchatheevu is an uninhabited island in the Palk Strait that India ceded to Sri Lanka under two bilateral maritime agreements signed in 1974 and 1976.
- Was a constitutional amendment required to cede Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka?
- Can Indian fishermen still use Katchatheevu Island?
- How is the Katchatheevu issue different from the Indian fishermen arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy?
- Can India reclaim Katchatheevu Island?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 28 June 1974

   The legal disposition of Katchatheevu was effected through two instruments — the Agreement on the Boundary in Historic Waters between India and Sri Lanka sig…

2. 23 March 1976

   The legal disposition of Katchatheevu was effected through two instruments — the Agreement on the Boundary in Historic Waters between India and Sri Lanka sig…

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Example

In March 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cited an RTI reply on Katchatheevu to accuse the Congress of "callously" ceding the island to Sri Lanka in 1974, making it a Tamil Nadu campaign issue before the general election.

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