Zillar Barta Desk,New Delhi: India has backed a recent United Nations General Assembly resolution aimed at promoting more accurate and equitable world map projections, while making it clear that its position on sovereignty and territorial integrity remains firm.
The resolution, titled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa,” was adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 4. It encourages the wider use of equal-area map projections that better represent the relative sizes of continents and regions.
India voted in favour of the resolution but stressed that its support should not be interpreted as endorsement of any particular map, projection or depiction of national boundaries. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the resolution does not address political cartography, disputed territories or international boundaries.
New Delhi also issued a clear condition concerning the depiction of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The MEA said India's sovereign territory must be shown in accordance with India's official map and warned that any inaccurate or misleading representation would be unacceptable.
The UN initiative seeks to move away from distortions associated with traditional map projections, particularly the Mercator projection, and promote representations that more accurately reflect the actual size of landmasses. The resolution was backed by an overwhelming majority of UN members.
India's response highlights its effort to support broader international initiatives on cartographic accuracy and equitable representation while simultaneously maintaining its established position on sovereignty and territorial integrity.
