India backs UN map resolution, warns against inaccurate depiction of J&K, Ladakh

The spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, said India voted in favour of the resolution and also made an explanation of the vote, stressing the principle of promoting equal-area representation.India backs United Nation's 'Correct the Map' resolutionIndia on Sunday backed a UN General Assembly resolution promoting the use of equal-area world maps, while clarifying that its support does not amount to endorsing any specific map projection or depiction of national boundaries.The clarification came after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution titled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa” on September 4. The resolution encourages the use of equal-area map projections that preserve the relative sizes of continental landmasses.MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India voted in favour of the resolution and also made an explanation of the vote, stressing the principle of promoting equal-area cartographic representation.“The resolution neither adopts nor authenticates any particular world map, nor does it address political cartography, including international boundaries, disputed territories or place names,” Jaiswal said. India also made its position on the depiction of its territory clear, saying its sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be shown in accordance with India's official map.“Any inaccurate or misleading depiction is unacceptable,” Jaiswal said, adding that India's position on its sovereignty and territorial integrity was “clear, consistent and non-negotiable”. The UN resolution seeks to encourage the wider use of equal-area projections, which show continents and countries in proportion to their actual surface areas. It does not ban the widely used Mercator projection or legally compel countries, schools, publishers or technology companies to adopt a different map.WHAT IS THE UN MAP RESOLUTION ABOUT?The resolution was led by Togo and backed by the African Union, which has argued that conventional Mercator maps distort the relative size of land masses. The resolution encourages the use of equal-area projections for education, public communication and other purposes where accurate comparison of the size of countries and continents is important.The Mercator projection, developed in 1569, was primarily designed for navigation and preserves directions and angles. However, it increasingly enlarges land masses as they move away from the equator. As a result, Africa appears much smaller relative to northern regions than its actual size.The Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018, seeks to preserve the relative area of land masses while retaining recognisable shapes. Under it, Africa appears considerably larger, while Europe and North America appear smaller compared with their depiction on Mercator maps.The UN vote does not mean that the world's maps will immediately change. The resolution is non-binding and its practical impact will depend on whether governments, educational institutions, publishers and digital platforms voluntarily adopt equal-area projections.- EndsPublished By: Prateek ChakrabortyPublished On: Sep 6, 2026 13:08 IST