The United Nations has unveiled a new world map that delineates Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin, a region that India claims as part of Ladakh, as distinct areas situated between the claim lines of India and China. This development follows India’s endorsement of the ‘Correct the Map’ resolution, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 4.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) reiterated India’s position on the map, saying that New Delhi had voted for the resolution since it deals with the use of equal-area maps and does not approve any map produced by a private party or a specific entity. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday that India’s support for the resolution was based on its focus on equal-area maps and did not amount to approval of any particular map. “…we favoured the resolution and voted in favour of the resolution. When the resolution was adopted in the UN General Assembly, we also made a statement where we clarified our position…The resolution is focused on the principle of equal-area maps.
It does not endorse any map of any private party or any particular entity,” he said. He added, “The resolution is focused on the principle of having, giving weightage or giving credence to equal-area maps, so that, as we have said, the equal-area maps project or preserve the relative sizes of continental landmarks.”
“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. Our position on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is clear, consistent and non-negotiable,” Jaiswal added in the statement.
The MEA spokesperson had earlier said that India’s vote in favour of the map was based on “the underlying principle of promoting equal-area cartographic representation.
