Nepal: New 100 Rupee Note Reignites Map Dispute With India

Nepal has unveiled its new 100-rupee note, a currency redesign that has triggered a fresh diplomatic tremor in the region. The updated banknote prominently features a revised national map, one that includes Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura—territories India insists fall within its own borders. The launch has reignited a long-standing boundary dispute, drawing sharp reactions from New Delhi.

The Nepal New 100 Rupee Note, issued by the Nepal Rastra Bank, carries the signature of former governor Maha Prasad Adhikari and bears the issuance year 2081 BS (2024). While Nepal’s central bank says the map had appeared in earlier designs, officials confirm that the artwork was revised at the government’s direction, in line with the political map adopted by the KP Sharma Oli administration in May 2020.

Nepal: India Calls the Move a “Unilateral Act”

Responding to the latest development, India’s Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that Nepal’s claims are “neither justified nor supported by historical facts or evidence.” Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reminded that the matter continues to be discussed at diplomatic levels, but stressed that “any unilateral artificial enlargement of territorial claims is untenable.”

New Delhi accused Kathmandu of provoking unnecessary tension, adding that issuing currency based on a disputed map “does not change ground reality.” Indian officials have repeatedly cautioned Nepal that such steps complicate rather than support ongoing conversations on boundary alignment.

The Cartographic Flashpoint

The decades-old dispute centres around the Lipulekh Pass and the adjoining Kalapani region, where the borders of India, Nepal and China converge.

• India maintains these areas fall within Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district.

• Nepal asserts they belong to its Dharchula region.

The release of the new currency once again places this disagreement under public and political scrutiny.

Nepal: What the New Note Looks Like

The Nepal New 100 Rupee Note features:

• Mt. Everest on the left

• A rhododendron watermark on the right

• A faint green map of Nepal in the centre, now updated to include the disputed territories

• The Ashoka Pillar with the inscription “Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha”

• On the reverse, a one-horned rhino, security thread, and an embossed black dot to assist visually impaired users

A spokesperson from the Nepal Rastra Bank explained that among all denominations, only the Rs 100 note carries the national map, making this redesign particularly significant.