Did You Know? This Country's New 100-Rupee Note Now Features Indian Territories

dian territories on foreign currency: In a move that has revived a long-running boundary dispute, Nepal on Thursday released a redesigned Rs 100 banknote carrying an updated national map that includes Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura, areas that India has consistently maintained fall within its territory.

The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the country’s central bank, said the note has now entered circulation after being printed by a Chinese state-owned company. The redesigned currency bears the signature of former governor Maha Prasad Adhikari and lists its issuance year as 2081 BS (2024).

What’s New On Nepal’s Rs 100 Note?

The new banknote retains its sky-blue colour and size but introduces refinements in design and security features. Mount Everest continues to appear on the left, while a watermark of the rhododendron, Nepal’s national flower, is placed on the right.

A faint green map at the centre depicts the disputed zones as part of Nepal, alongside an illustration of the Ashoka Pillar inscribed with the line: “Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.”The reverse side highlights the one-horned rhinoceros with its calf, a tactile black dot for visually impaired users, and an advanced colour-shifting security thread. The note also includes an image of Maya Devi printed in metallic ink.

Though Nepal issues several denominations, Rs 10, Rs 50, Rs 500, and Rs 1,000, only the Rs 100 note carries the national map. Nepal shifted its currency printing to China nearly a decade ago. Indian presses, bound by law, cannot depict territories that India considers its own as part of another country’s map. The latest batch, 300 million notes, was printed by China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation at an estimated cost of USD 8.99 million.

Why These Areas Matter? 

Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura together span roughly 370 sq km in the Himalayan region. Kalapani, spread over 35 sq km, lies near Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district and is patrolled by India’s Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

The dispute is rooted in differing interpretations of the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli, which demarcated the western border of Nepal along the Kali River. India maintains that the river originates near Kalapani, while Nepal argues its source lies further north at Limpiyadhura. Lipulekh Pass, a key route for Kailash–Mansarovar pilgrims and India–China trade since 1954, has also been a flashpoint. India’s construction of an 80-km road to the pass in 2020 triggered strong objections from Kathmandu.

India’s Response

New Delhi has reiterated that the regions shown on Nepal’s new banknote are “Indian territory” and said such cartographic assertions do not alter facts on the ground.

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The Ministry of External Affairs has previously described Nepal’s 2020 map update as an “artificial enlargement” of claims and stressed that boundary issues must be resolved through sustained diplomatic dialogue. Commenting on the latest development, foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdev told ANI that India must avoid escalating rhetoric, especially amid Nepal’s unstable political climate. Former diplomat K P Fabian called the move “unnecessary” and urged Kathmandu to engage New Delhi through established diplomatic channels.

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With the updated Rs 100 note now in public circulation, Kathmandu’s symbolic assertion has once again sharpened focus on the sensitive border dispute, one that both countries claim they remain willing to address through dialogue, even as each holds firm to its historical interpretation.

(NOTE: This article is part of the series 'Did You Know'. To read more articles in the series, click here)