New Delhi, Sept 7:
India has made it clear that any world map prepared under a United Nations initiative must depict the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in accordance with India’s official map, asserting that any inaccurate or misleading representation would be unacceptable.
The clarification from New Delhi came two days after India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution aimed at improving the accuracy of world maps and promoting more equitable representation of continental landmasses.
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.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s vote in favour of the resolution should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any particular map, projection or depiction of national boundaries.
He said India had also explained its vote, stressing the importance of equal-area cartographic representation.
“India’s sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be depicted in accordance with India’s official map,” Jaiswal said.
He added that any inaccurate or misleading depiction would be unacceptable and reiterated that India’s position on its sovereignty and territorial integrity was “clear, consistent and non-negotiable”.
According to the MEA, the purpose of the UN resolution is to encourage the use of equal-area map projections that preserve the relative sizes of continental landmasses.
Jaiswal stressed that the resolution neither adopts nor authenticates any particular world map. It also does not deal with political cartography, including international boundaries, disputed territories or place names.
The resolution, sponsored by Togo, received 164 votes in favour. Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine abstained, while the United States was the only country to vote against it.
India’s clarification seeks to distinguish its support for more accurate geographical representation from any interpretation that could alter or question its stated position on the country’s territorial boundaries.