Two days after India supported the “Correct the map” resolution in the UN on September 4, 2026, a new map of the world issued by the United Nations, seems to have left India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin of Jammu and Kashmir appearing like regions caught between Indian and Chinese claim lines. The UN map, published on July 1, 2026, shows Arunachal’s southern State border with Assam as the “Chinese Line” while eliminating the State’s border with Nagaland. It shows the State’s northern border with China’s Tibet as the “Indian Line”. Similarly, the map shows Aksai Chin’s eastern borders as the “Indian Line” and uses a “Chinese line” that appears to serve as a line of demarcation between Ladakh and Aksai Chin. India claims Aksai Chin as part of Ladakh. 

Also read: Line of Actual Control | India-China: the line of actual contest

The document also has depicted Jammu and Kashmir with a dotted line indicating the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. However, the issue of the LoC is clarified in a brief note in the left side of the map explaining that the “dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties.” However there is no note explaining why the “Map of the World” issued by the UN following the passing of the “Correct the Map” resolution that was sponsored by Togo and supported by the African Union depicted Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin with separate Indian and Chinese claim lines.

The map passed in the resolution is non-binding, but understandably it will be used by multilateral institutions worldwide.

The Ministry of External Affairs had reiterated India’s support to the “Correct the Map” resolution on Sunday (September 6, 2026) but declared that “India voted in favour of the resolution” and explained its position as a vote on the “underlying principle of promoting equal – area cartographic representation”. “We also highlighted that the resolution does not constitute endorsement of any specific map, projection or depiction of national boundaries,” the MEA had said.

“India’s sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be depicted in accordance with India’s official map. Any inaccurate or misleading depiction is unacceptable,” said the Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in response to media queries. MEA is yet to respond to The Hindu’s query on the separate demarcation of Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin with contesting claim lines from India and China. Aksai Chin is part of Ladakh as per India’s official position.

The traditional map of India depicts both Arunachal Pradesh and the entire Jammu and Kashmir as parts of the sovereign territory of India. In relation to India’s ongoing Kalapani border controversy with Nepal, the map seems to have gone in favour of India as it reflects India’s control over the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura region which is claimed by Nepal and shown as part of Nepal’s sovereign territory.

Earlier this year, Nepal’s new government had written to India asserting Kathmandu’s claim over the Lipulekh region, that India uses for transportation of pilgrims and traders to Tibet and to Kailash Manasarovar region.  Nepal, recently hit by the disaster at the Bhotekoshi river, had earlier in 2019 protested against India’s new political map issued after the abrogation of Article 370 that year, but is yet to comment on the new UN map.