Nepal Issues Controversial ₹100 Note Claiming Indian Territories, Tensions Escalate

Kathmandu: Nepal’s central bank has released a new 100-rupee currency note featuring a revised national map that includes the disputed Indian territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura. The move is likely to escalate tensions between India and Nepal, as these areas have long been recognized as part of India.

According to the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the map had previously appeared on older notes, but the government recently revised it specifically for the 100-rupee denomination. Other denominations, including 10, 50, and 500 rupees, do not feature the new map.

The new 100-rupee note prominently displays Mount Everest on the left, Nepal’s national flower, the rhododendron, as a watermark on the right, and a light green map of Nepal in the background. The Ashoka Pillar, indicating Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is printed near the map. On the reverse side, the note features a one-horned rhinoceros.

The controversy dates back to May 2020, when the Nepal government under then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli released a new political map asserting Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura as Nepalese territory. The move was approved by Nepal’s parliament, drawing strong objections from India at the time.

India has consistently rejected such claims, emphasizing that these territories are an integral part of India. The border between India and Nepal spans 1,850 km and touches five Indian states: Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Nepal’s constitutional amendment and the issuance of currency notes featuring the disputed map have reignited the long-standing territorial disagreement.