Nepal’s new 100 rupee note redraws the map, and India is fuming

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s central bank has introduced a redesigned 100-rupee banknote featuring the country’s updated political map, a move that has triggered fresh concerns in India over long-standing border disputes.

The note, which recently entered circulation, depicts the regions of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura, territories claimed by both Nepal and India. The inclusion of these areas on the currency has once again brought the simmering border controversy to the forefront.

The new banknote carries the signature of former Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari and is dated 2081 BS, corresponding to 2024 AD. Sources say the note’s design had been approved last year, accounting for the 2024 date on the newly issued currency.

The map featured on the note traces back to 2020, when then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli issued a revised national map incorporating the three disputed regions as part of Nepal, a step later endorsed by the Nepali Parliament.

The final approval for the currency’s updated design reportedly came under former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The old map previously printed on the reverse side of the note has been removed and replaced with the new, expanded version.

India, however, maintains that Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura lie within its territorial boundaries. New Delhi has criticised Nepal’s decision to engrave the disputed map onto its currency, calling it a unilateral act and asserting that “artificial territorial claims” cannot be accepted.

The renewed tensions emerge at a time when both countries have been trying to stabilise diplomatic ties, raising questions about how the latest development may impact bilateral relations in the coming weeks.