India has clarified its stand on the proposal for a world map based on the ‘Equal Earth Projection’ at the UN General Assembly. The Ministry of External Affairs has clarified that although India voted in favour of the UN proposal on the new map, we do not support it. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that the new map should depict the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including its sovereign territories, as per the official map of India. The aim is to accurately reflect the true area of the continent and land.
The UN General Assembly has adopted the proposal titled ‘Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa’, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. The main objective of this proposal is to promote the use of maps that show the true size of the various continents and landmasses of the world in a more accurate and fair proportion.
India has not supported a specific map
India has clarified that this UN proposal does not give official recognition to any particular world map, projection or any particular depiction of country boundaries. It also does not discuss issues related to political maps such as international boundaries, disputed territories or place names. India has said that voting in favour of the proposal means supporting a map that shows the true size of various regions of the world more objectively. It does not approve of any specific map.
India’s clarification on the UN proposal
The MEA spokesperson said that this proposal does not accept or officially recognize any particular world map. Moreover, it does not discuss issues related to political maps such as international boundaries, disputed territories or place names. The Ministry of External Affairs said that India voted in favour of the proposal. After the vote, India clarified its position and supported such a map, which shows the real shape of various parts of the world in a more impartial manner.
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are not like our maps: MEA
Similarly, India has clarified its position on its sovereign territory. The Ministry of External Affairs said that India’s sovereign territory, which includes the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, will have to be shown only as per the official map of India. Any incorrect or misleading depiction of India’s borders or territory will not be accepted. The Ministry of External Affairs has made its position on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity clear and unchangeable.
164 votes in favor of the proposal
A total of 164 votes were cast in favor of this proposal, which recommended the greater use of maps based on the ‘Equal Earth Projection’ at the UN General Assembly. The traditional map based on the ‘Merctor Projection’ makes the countries of the Northern Hemisphere appear larger than they actually are. As an alternative, the idea of using the Equal Earth Projection has been put forward in the proposal. The United States was the only country to oppose this proposal, while six countries abstained from voting.
