India has backed a United Nations General Assembly resolution promoting the use of equal-area world map projections but has made it clear that any depiction of its sovereign territory must conform to the country’s official map.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday said the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakhmust be shown in accordance with India’s official map. It also warned that any inaccurate or misleading representation of Indian territory would be unacceptable.

The clarification came two days after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution aimed at promoting a more accurate representation of the relative sizes of the world’s continental landmasses. 

India supported the resolution, but not a specific map

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal clarified that India’s vote in favour of the resolution should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any particular world map or cartographic projection.

According to the ministry, India supported the underlying principle of equal-area cartographic representation, which seeks to preserve the relative size of continental landmasses more accurately than some traditional projections.

Jaiswal said the UN resolution neither adopts nor authenticates a particular world map, nor does it deal with political cartography, including international boundaries, disputed territories or place names. 

MEA draws a clear line on J&K and Ladakh

While backing the broader objective of improving geographic representation, India reiterated its position on territorial integrity.

The MEA said India’s sovereign territory, including Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be depicted according to the country’s official map. Any representation that is inaccurate or misleading would not be acceptable.

Jaiswal described India's position on sovereignty and territorial integrity as “clear, consistent and non-negotiable.”

This distinction is important because the UN resolution is primarily concerned with how landmasses are represented on maps rather than with changing political boundaries.

What is the Equal Earth map?

The UN resolution promotes the use of equal-area map projections, which aim to represent the relative sizes of countries and continents more accurately.

The widely used Mercator projection, developed by Gerardus Mercator in 1569, was designed primarily to help with navigation. However, when the curved surface of the Earth is transferred onto a flat map, areas farther from the Equator can appear considerably larger than they actually are.

This is why Greenland, for example, can appear comparable in size to Africa on a Mercator map despite Africa being vastly larger in reality.

The Equal Earth projection, introduced in 2018, attempts to address this size distortion while retaining a visually balanced representation of the world's continents. 

UN resolution passed with 164 votes

The resolution, titled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World's Regions, Particularly Africa,” was sponsored by Togo and adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 4.

It received 164 votes in favour. Six countries abstained, while the United States was the only country to vote against the resolution. 

The initiative has been driven particularly by African countries, which have argued that conventional world maps can visually understate the continent’s enormous landmass.

Will the UN decision change India's borders?

No.

The resolution does not alter India's territory, international boundaries or land area. It also does not legally require governments, schools, publishers or technology companies to immediately abandon the Mercator projection.

Instead, the resolution encourages wider use of projections that preserve the relative area of continents more accurately. 

Mercator-type projections can also continue to have practical applications, particularly in navigation, because of their useful representation of directions.

Why India's clarification matters

India's response separates two issues that could otherwise be conflated: cartographic projection and political boundaries.

New Delhi has supported efforts to reduce distortions in the visual representation of the world's landmasses. At the same time, it has reiterated that such a change cannot be interpreted as acceptance of any depiction of India's territory that differs from its official map.

The MEA's clarification therefore establishes that India's vote was based on the principle of more accurate area representation and should not be viewed as altering its established position on sovereignty or territorial integrity.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Ukraine and Poland from September 3 to 5, with talks expected to focus on strengthening bilateral relations, regional developments and issues of mutual interest.

 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will undertake an official visit to Ukraine and Poland from September 3 to 5, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday.

During the visit, Jaishankar will hold bilateral consultations with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. The discussions will focus on strengthening India's bilateral relations with both European countries and exchanging views on regional developments and issues of mutual interest. 

The visit comes as India continues to maintain diplomatic engagement with Ukraine while also stressing dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Jaishankar's Ukraine visit

Jaishankar's talks with Sybiha are expected to cover the broader India-Ukraine relationship as well as developments surrounding the ongoing war.

The two ministers had spoken by phone on August 26. According to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, Sybiha briefed Jaishankar about the situation in the Black Sea, including intensified attacks on Ukrainian ports and maritime routes. They also discussed freedom of navigation and ways to advance bilateral cooperation.

The upcoming visit also follows recent discussions between Ukrainian officials and India's ambassador in Kyiv on India's potential role in efforts aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukrainian officials have indicated that Kyiv wants continued dialogue with New Delhi on the peace process.

India has consistently advocated dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict, while maintaining relationships with both Moscow and Kyiv.

Focus on India-Poland ties

Jaishankar will also travel to Poland for discussions with Sikorski. The visit comes amid efforts to further expand India's engagement with Poland following the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries in 2024.

India and Poland have identified areas including trade and investment, technology, agriculture, connectivity, mining, energy, environment, digital cooperation and defence as areas for deeper bilateral engagement.

The Poland leg also comes ahead of an expected visit to India by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, with preparations for the visit already under discussion between the two countries. 

Wider European engagement

Jaishankar's two-country visit comes at a time of significant geopolitical changes in Europe, with the Russia-Ukraine conflict continuing to affect regional security, energy and food supplies.

For New Delhi, the visit provides an opportunity to maintain high-level political engagement with both Ukraine and Poland while advancing India's economic and strategic interests in Europe.

The MEA has described the visit primarily as an opportunity to enhance bilateral relations and exchange views on regional developments and issues of mutual interest.

Terror Funding Priority

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday called for coordinated international action to choke terror funding and protect global shipping routes from attacks and disruption. He delivered the message at the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting in Manila, where ministers discussed political and security challenges facing the Indo-Pacific.

Jaishankar said countries must deny terrorist groups access to financial resources, networks and institutional support. He also argued that the international community must impose consequences for acts of terrorism rather than limit its response to statements of condemnation.

Zero Tolerance Message

“There must be zero tolerance for terrorism,” Jaishankar said, while stressing that terrorist attacks must carry consequences. He identified terror funding as a priority area for regional and global cooperation.

India and Malaysia currently co-chair the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism. Jaishankar said India was leading work on a compendium of global best practices to strengthen counter-terrorism coordination among participating countries.

Shipping Routes Must Stay Open

The minister also condemned attacks on merchant vessels and civilian infrastructure. He said international waterways must remain safe, secure and open so that trade can move without interruption.

His remarks came as conflict in West Asia, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks involving oil tankers created fresh risks for energy supplies and commercial shipping. ASEAN economies depend heavily on imported energy, making disruption along major sea routes a central concern at the Manila meetings.

India Details Maritime Role

Jaishankar highlighted India’s contribution to maritime security through the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region and the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness initiative. He also referred to Indian deployments stretching from the North Arabian Sea to the Western Pacific.

According to the minister, these efforts help countries counter piracy, trafficking and narcotics smuggling while protecting maritime commerce. India’s emphasis on safe shipping reflects its wider objective of maintaining a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific with ASEAN at its centre.

South China Sea Code

Jaishankar backed a substantive, effective and legally binding Code of Conduct for the South China Sea. He said the proposed framework must comply fully with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and protect the legitimate rights of all users.

The issue carried added urgency after fresh confrontations between China and the Philippines in disputed waters. The South China Sea remains a major commercial route as well as a strategic flashpoint involving overlapping territorial and maritime claims.

Wider Security Agenda

The External Affairs Minister welcomed the Manila Plan of Action and said its five pillars aligned with India’s Indo-Pacific approach. He sought closer cooperation on disaster relief, common operating procedures, field exercises and the sharing of best practices.

Jaishankar also urged countries to remain alert to efforts that weaken non-proliferation and disarmament frameworks. On technology, he supported a responsible, human-centric approach to artificial intelligence and stronger cross-border cooperation against cybercrime.

The address featured prominently in Latest News Today, India News Update and National and International News coverage because it connected terrorism, maritime trade and regional stability. It also emerged as an important Public Interest Story in Trending News India coverage.

What Comes Next

The forum’s discussions could shape cooperation on counter-terrorism, shipping security, disaster response and regional maritime rules. However, participating countries will need stronger intelligence-sharing, financial tracking and coordinated enforcement to translate political commitments into measurable action. This assessment follows from the priorities outlined by India at the meeting.