Nepal has escalated its territorial claim against India by officially issuing new ₹100 currency notes that feature a revised map. This map includes the contested areas of , Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura, regions that India firmly maintains belong to it.
The new bank note, issued by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), is a formal, tangible assertion of the map approved by the Nepali Parliament in 2020.
The Territories at the Center of the Dispute
The core of the issue lies in three strategically important regions along the border:
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Kalapani: A strategic area near the India-China-Nepal tri-junction.
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Lipulekh: A high-altitude pass that serves as a border point and is also used by pilgrims for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
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Limpiyadhura: Located near the headwaters of the Kali River.
Background: The 2020 Political Move
The controversy began when the then K P Sharma Oli-led government unveiled the new political map in May 2020, explicitly showing these three areas as part of Nepali territory. This move was later endorsed by the Nepali Parliament.
India’s reaction at the time was strong and unequivocal. New Delhi labeled Nepal’s map revision a “unilateral act” and cautioned Kathmandu that such an “artificial enlargement“ of territorial claims would not be acceptable to India. India has consistently maintained its historical claim over the three territories.
An NRB spokesperson confirmed that the revision was simply carried out as per the government’s 2020 decision. Currently, the ₹100 currency note is the only denomination that bears Nepal’s national map.
The New Currency Design
Beyond the political context, the new $₹100$ note features several national symbols:
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Front Side: Features Mount Everest on the left and a watermark of Nepal’s national flower, Rhododendron, on the right. A faint green map of Nepal is in the background. It also includes the Ashoka Pillar with the text “Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.”
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Back Side: Features a picture of a horned rhino.
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Security Features: Includes a security thread and an embossed black dot to aid recognition by visually impaired individuals.
The move marks a fresh escalation in the diplomatic tension over the $1850 \text{ km}$ border that Nepal shares with five Indian states: Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
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