India Says UN-Backed World Map Must Accurately Depict J&K and Ladakh

India has made it clear that any world map prepared or supported by the United Nations must accurately depict Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in accordance with the country's official map. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India's support for a recent UN General Assembly resolution on global cartographic representation should not be interpreted as approval of any particular map, projection or depiction of international boundaries. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India's sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be shown according to India's official map.

The clarification came after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution titled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World's Regions, Particularly Africa.” India voted in favour of the resolution, which seeks to encourage more equitable representation of the world's regions through improved cartographic practices.

The resolution focuses largely on the way geographical areas are represented on conventional world maps. Certain widely used map projections can distort the apparent size of countries and continents, particularly those located closer to the poles. Equal-area projections are designed to address this issue by representing the relative size of land areas more accurately.

India's vote, however, was based on the principle of improving geographic representation and did not amount to endorsement of a specific map. The MEA has also clarified that the UN resolution does not establish or authenticate a particular representation of political boundaries, disputed territories or place names.

Jaiswal reiterated that India's position on sovereignty and territorial integrity remains unchanged. According to New Delhi, any map associated with the United Nations must accurately represent India's sovereign territory, including Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The government has consistently objected to maps that it believes incorrectly portray India's boundaries.

The UN resolution was adopted with broad support in the General Assembly, receiving 164 votes in favour. The initiative has primarily been presented as an effort to address long-standing distortions in the visual representation of continents rather than as a move concerning territorial disputes. The Indian government's latest clarification highlights the distinction between changing a map projection and changing the political boundaries shown on a map. While India supports efforts to make global maps geographically more representative, it maintains that such changes should not result in an inaccurate depiction of its territory.

The issue is particularly significant for India because the international depiction of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has been a sensitive matter for New Delhi. The government maintains that the two Union Territories are an integral part of India's sovereign territory and should therefore be represented in accordance with India's official map. India's position following the UN resolution is consequently clear: it supports efforts to improve the geographical accuracy and fairness of world maps, but any UN-backed representation must respect India's stated territorial boundaries and accurately depict Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Hindustan Times.