India Supports UN’s Equal‑Area Map Resolution on Technical Grounds

On Tuesday, India made it clear that its vote in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution was driven by pure technical logic, not by any political statement about borders. The resolution – formally titled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa” – calls for wider use of equal‑area map projections that keep the relative size of continents honest.

Speaking at a press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal explained that the crux of the matter is the way maps depict landmass. “The resolution is about the principle of equal‑area maps. It doesn’t endorse any particular map made by a private party or any entity,” he said, adding that the aim is simply to give proper weight to the true dimensions of continents.

He was quick to note that India had already backed the measure when it was put to a vote. “We favoured the resolution and voted in favour of it,” Jaiswal told reporters, before reiterating that the support for an accurate cartographic method does not override the country’s sovereign maps – especially those showing Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and other Union Territories.

The backdrop to this vote is an African‑led push to move away from the age‑old Mercator projection, a system that dramatically inflates regions near the poles while shrinking the likes of Africa and South America. Rather than demanding a ban on older maps, the UN resolution merely encourages governments, academia and tech firms to consider equal‑area options – such as the “Equal Earth” projection – when precise representation matters.

The motion sailed through the Assembly with 164 votes in favour. Only six nations abstained – Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine – while the United States stood alone in voting against it.

India’s stance, therefore, is a blend of scientific advocacy and firm territorial sovereignty. As Jaiswal summed it up, supporting better map science does not, and will not, alter the official depiction of India’s borders.