Nepal's Central Bank has issued new ₹100 currency notes that prominently display a revised national map including the Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura territories. These areas are currently administered by India as part of Uttarakhand but are claimed by Nepal, sparking renewed border tensions.

The new ₹100 banknote, released by Nepal Rastra Bank, bears the signature of the former Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari and is dated 2081 BS, which corresponds to 2024 in the Gregorian calendar.

This note is the only Nepali denomination featuring the country’s map, which has been updated to include the disputed territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura. According to a spokesperson for Nepal Rastra Bank, the depiction of these territories on the note is a continuation of previous versions but with a revised design reflecting the government's official position.​

In May 2020, the Nepalese government led by KP Sharma Oli unveiled a new political map incorporating these disputed regions as part of Nepal’s sovereign territory. This move was subsequently endorsed by Nepal's Parliament. India has consistently rejected these claims, maintaining that Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura fall within its state of Uttarakhand. India labelled the Nepalese map update as a “unilateral act” and an “artificial enlargement” of territorial boundaries, warning that such claims are unacceptable.​

The issuance of the new note comes amid ongoing diplomatic sensitivities, with India reiterating that the map on Nepal’s currency does not reflect the reality on the ground. India’s External Affairs Minister asserted that this step by Nepal would not alter the existing border situation. The map has been a symbol of Nepal asserting its territorial claims, while India maintains a firm stance on the territorial integrity of its northern borders.​

Nepal Rastra Bank clarified that the map featured on the ₹100 note aligns with constitutional amendments passed by Nepal’s parliament in 2020. Approximately 300 million such notes were printed at an estimated cost of $8.9 million. The bank emphasised that the updated map on the currency is in accordance with the government’s decisions and reflects Nepal's official territorial claims rather than a new innovation.​

The crux of the dispute lies in the overlapping territorial claims over the tri-junction area involving Nepal, India, and China. Nepal claims these three areas based on historical treaties and geographical considerations, while India asserts administrative control and legal sovereignty over them as part of Uttarakhand.

The currency note issue is a tangible reflection of this ongoing discord and has further complicated bilateral relations between the two neighbours.

Agencies