India takes on ‘anomalies’ in new UN world map with ‘persons affected’

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addresses the bi-weekly media briefing in Delhi on September 8, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI

The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) said it had taken up “anomalies” on the world map, widely used in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) during a discussion on the India-backed “Fix the Map” resolution with “affected persons”. The map depicted India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as distinct areas caught between unspecified Indian and Chinese claims.

At the ministry’s fortnightly briefing, official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that India had voted in favor of the principle of the “Correct the Map” resolution but did not support any map. The resolution seeks to correct distortions in commonly used world maps “which are believed to distort the relative size of the continents and contribute to a reduced perception of Africa and other equatorial regions,” according to the UN.

The Hindu reported on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) that a map released on July 1 by UN Geospatial, which remains on the UN Geospatial website, did not use traditional UN cartographic markers like the “Indian line” and “Chinese line” while delineating the status of Arunachal Pradesh and its Aksai Chin regions.

The map showed the Line of Control between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir as a dotted line and provided an explanation of it. However, it did not provide similar explanations for not clearly delineating Chinese and Indian claims in Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin, as the UN did in previously released maps.

India’s attitude

Responding to a question on the issue, Mr. Jaiswal said, “We have supported the principle of leveling maps but not just any maps. There may be maps for consultation. We have discussed the anomalies with the concerned persons.”

“India voted for the resolution and issued its explanation there. The UN did not support any map,” Mr Jaiswal said.

The “Correct the Map” resolution was approved on September 4, 2026. Discussions about the map began in March this year, when the African Union supported the “Equal Earth cartographic projection for a more accurate representation of Africa”. The African Union called this approach “cognitive justice”. Subsequently, Togo instigated UN General Assembly consultations on the map in April 2026, and informal consultations were launched by the UN General Assembly in July when a map produced by UN Geospatial was adopted.

Following the UN General Assembly’s approval of the resolution, Mr Jaiswal said on Sunday (6 September 2026) that India had voted in favor of “the fundamental principle of promoting equal-area cartographic representation”, adding: “The sovereign territory of India, including the Union Territories of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, must be depicted incorrectly in accordance with India’s official map or map. It is unacceptable.”

Published – 8 Sep 2026 22:33 IST