India has made its position clear at the United Nations, saying Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh must be shown as part of the country’s sovereign territory on any world map.
The clarification came after India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution aimed at promoting more accurate representations of the relative sizes of countries and continents. The resolution, titled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa”, was adopted on September 4 with 164 countries voting in favour.
India’s support for the resolution was based on its broader objective of encouraging equal-area map projections, which preserve the relative size of landmasses more accurately than commonly used projections such as the Mercator map.
However, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made it clear that India’s vote should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any particular map or projection.
Jaiswal said India had specifically highlighted that the resolution does not constitute an endorsement of any specific map, projection or depiction of national boundaries.
He further stated that India’s sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be depicted according to India’s official map. Any representation that is inaccurate or misleading is unacceptable to New Delhi.
“Our position on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is clear, consistent and non-negotiable,” Jaiswal said.
The clarification is significant because the Equal Earth projection favoured by the resolution can depict the northern frontiers of India differently from New Delhi’s official position, including showing parts of Jammu and Kashmir within areas marked under China and Pakistan.
India stressed that the UN resolution itself does not settle political questions. According to the MEA, its purpose is to encourage the use of equal-area projections that better preserve the relative sizes of continental landmasses.
Jaiswal also pointed out that the resolution neither adopts nor authenticates any particular world map. It does not address political cartography, including international boundaries, disputed territories or place names.
The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution, while Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine abstained.
India’s clarification therefore seeks to draw a clear distinction between supporting a more accurate geographical representation of the world and its established position on sovereignty and territorial integrity.
New Delhi has reiterated that its position on Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh remains firm and that any map showing these territories contrary to India’s official map will not be accepted.
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