Nepal’s  central bank, Nepal Rastra Bank, has introduced new Rs 100 currency notes that show a revised map of the country, including the disputed regions of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura. India also claims these areas, and this move has once again brought back the long-running border dispute between the two countries. India had earlier criticised Nepal’s updated 2020 map, calling it a “unilateral act” and saying such “artificial enlargement” of territory was not acceptable. The dispute mostly centres around the Lipulekh Pass in Nepal’s far-western region. India considers Kalapani part of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district, while Nepal insists it belongs to its Dharchula district.

The newly issued Rs 100 bank note features the signature of former governor Maha Prasad Adhikari and mentions the issue year as 2081 BS (2024). The note now includes the updated national map that was officially approved by Nepal’s Parliament during the K P Sharma Oli–led government in May 2020. A spokesperson for Nepal Rastra Bank said that earlier versions of the Rs 100 note already carried the national map, and the latest version simply follows the government’s directive to update it.

The new note also has several design features. On the front, it shows Mt Everest on the left and a watermark of the national flower, the rhododendron, on the right. A faint green outline of Nepal’s map appears in the background, displaying the revised borders. There is also an image of the Ashok Pillar with the text, “Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.” The back side of the note features a picture of the one-horned rhinoceros along with a security thread to prevent counterfeiting. It also has an embossed black dot to help visually impaired individuals identify the note by touch.

Interestingly, among Nepal’s currency denominations, such as Rs 10, Rs 50, Rs 500, and Rs 1,000, only the Rs 100 note carries the national map. The others do not include it. Nepal shares over 1,850 kilometres of border with India, touching the states of Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The introduction of this updated currency note is expected to draw fresh attention from India, as the territorial dispute between the two neighbours remains unresolved.