India has clarified that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh must be depicted according to the country's official map after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution encouraging more accurate representation of the relative size of countries and continents.

The clarification came from Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Sunday, two days after India voted in favour of the UN resolution titled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa.”

New Delhi stressed that its vote was based on the principle of equal-area cartographic representation and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any particular world map, projection or depiction of national boundaries.

India Draws Territorial Line

Jaiswal made India's position clear while responding to questions about the resolution.

He 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 representation, he said, would be unacceptable. Jaiswal further described India's position on sovereignty and territorial integrity as “clear, consistent and non-negotiable”.

The statement separates India's support for a technical cartographic principle from its established position on territorial representation.

UN Resolution Adopted

The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on September 4 with 164 countries voting in favour.

The United States was the only country to vote against it, while Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine abstained. The resolution was sponsored by Togo.

The vote formed part of efforts to encourage greater use of map projections that provide a more proportionate representation of continental landmasses.

The initiative has particular relevance to Africa, whose apparent size can be significantly understated on commonly used projections.

Equal-Area Maps Explained

Equal-area projections aim to preserve the relative area of landmasses on a two-dimensional map.

Conventional projections such as the Mercator projection can make regions farther from the Equator appear substantially larger than their actual relative size. The issue has prompted renewed debate over how the world's continents and countries are represented in educational, public and other maps.

The UN resolution encourages consideration of equal-area projections where accurate comparisons of landmass size are important.

No Specific Map Endorsed

India stressed that the UN resolution should not be interpreted as adopting or authenticating a particular world map.

Jaiswal said the resolution does not address political cartography, including international boundaries, disputed territories or place names.

That distinction was central to India's explanation of its vote.

New Delhi supported the broader objective of improving cartographic representation while maintaining that questions involving India's territorial depiction remain governed by its official position.

J&K, Ladakh Position Firm

India's clarification specifically mentioned the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The government has consistently maintained that its sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be compromised through external representations or references.

By making the clarification immediately after the UN vote, the MEA sought to ensure that India's support for improved map projections was not interpreted as acceptance of any alternative depiction of its territory.

The issue is particularly sensitive because cartographic representations can carry political as well as geographical implications.

Resolution Focuses On Africa

The UN initiative was primarily driven by concerns about distortions in conventional world maps and their impact on perceptions of the relative size of continents.

The resolution's title specifically refers to promoting equitable representation of the world's regions, particularly Africa.

Supporters argue that equal-area projections provide a more accurate visual comparison of continental landmass, especially when maps are used for education and public communication.

The resolution, however, does not require every country, publisher or digital platform to immediately replace existing map systems.

India Maintains Official Position

India's vote therefore reflects support for the technical objective of more proportionate global cartographic representation rather than a change in its territorial policy.

The MEA has drawn a clear distinction between map projection and political boundaries, saying the UN resolution does not determine how India's sovereign territory should be depicted.

For New Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh must continue to be shown according to India's official map.

The episode underlines how seemingly technical questions about cartography can intersect with sovereignty and international diplomacy. India has backed the UN's effort to address geographic distortion while firmly reiterating that its position on territorial integrity remains unchanged.