New UN map depicts Arunachal, Aksai Chin as territories caught between Indian, Chinese ‘unspecified’ claim lines

A new world map that was endorsed at the UN during the India-backed “Correct the map” resolution of September 4 in the UN General Assembly has projected India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin, which India has maintained as part of Ladakh, as distinct regions caught between Indian and Chinese “claim lines”.

The map which came up on July 1 during the months-long discussion for the UNGA resolution shows Arunachal’s southern State border with Assam, indicating the “Chinese line” while eliminating the State’s border with Nagaland.

It shows the State’s northern border, indicating the “Indian line”. Similarly, the map shows Aksai Chin’s eastern borders, indicating the “Indian Line” while presenting the western borders of Aksai Chin in what appears to be the “Chinese line”.

These “claim lines” appear to be a continuation of previous similar maps of the UN. But unlike in the 2011 map of the UN, these lines are not specified as “claim lines” in the July 1 map. The map has also depicted Jammu and Kashmir with a dotted line indicating the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan.

However, the issue of the LoC is clearly mentioned in a brief note on the left side of the map, explaining that the “dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan.

The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties.” However, there is no note explaining why the “Map of the World” issued by the UN during the consultation process and endorsed by the “Correct the Map” resolution that was sponsored by Togo and supported by the African Union depicted Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as territories caught between Indian and Chinese claim lines.

The map is non-binding, but understandably, it will be used by multilateral institutions worldwide. Discussions on the map began in March 2026 when the African Union supported the “Equal Earth cartographic projection to more accurately represent Africa”.

African Union called this approach “cognitive justice”. Subsequently, Togo prompted UNGA consultations on the map in April 2026, and the UN General Assembly started informal consultations in July, when the draft map authored by the UN Geospatial on July 1 was taken up.

The External Affairs Ministry (MEA) had reiterated India’s support for the “Correct the Map” resolution on Sunday but declared that “India voted in favour of the resolution” and explained its position as a vote on the “underlying principle of promoting equal–area cartographic representation”.

“We also highlighted that the resolution does not constitute endorsement of any specific map, projection or depiction of national boundaries,” the MEA had said. “India’s sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be depicted in accordance with India’s official map.

Any inaccurate or misleading depiction is unacceptable,” said the Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in response to media queries. MEA is yet to respond to The Hindu’s query on the separate demarcation of Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin with contesting claim lines from India and China.

The traditional map of India depicts both Arunachal Pradesh and the entire Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (including Aksai Chin) as parts of the sovereign territory of India. In relation to India’s ongoing Kalapani border controversy with Nepal, the map seems to have gone in favour of India, as it reflects India’s control over the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura region, which is claimed by Nepal.

Earlier this year, Nepal’s new government had written to India, asserting Kathmandu’s claim over the Lipulekh region, which India uses for transportation of pilgrims and traders to Tibet and to the Kailash Manasarovar region.

Nepal, recently hit by the disaster at the Bhote Koshi River, had in 2019 protested against India’s new political map issued after the abrogation of Article 370 that year. Kathmandu is yet to comment on the new UN map.