UN global map should depict J&K, Ladakh as per India’s official map: MEA

New Delhi, Sep 6: India on Sunday said any proposed global map initiated by the United Nations should depict Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in accordance with India’s official map, asserting that any “incorrect” or “misleading” representation of these territories would be unacceptable.
Responding to a media query, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s position on its sovereignty and territorial integrity was “clear, consistent and non-negotiable”.
“The depiction of India’s sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, should be as per India’s official map,” Jaiswal said.
His remarks came two days after India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution aimed at promoting a more accurate and balanced representation of continental land areas on world maps.
Explaining India’s vote, Jaiswal said the resolution did not endorse any particular map, cartographic projection or specific depiction of national borders.
He said the resolution encouraged the use of equal-area map projections so that the relative sizes of continental land masses could be preserved more accurately.
The MEA spokesperson also clarified that the resolution neither adopted nor authenticated any specific world map.
It also did not address issues relating to political cartography, international boundaries, disputed territories or the naming of geographical locations, he said.
However, Jaiswal reiterated India’s position on sovereignty and territorial integrity, maintaining that India’s sovereign territories, including Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be represented in accordance with the country’s official map.
“Any incorrect or misleading cartographic depiction would be unacceptable,” he said. (KNS)