The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has issued a new ₹100 banknote carrying a revised national map that includes the contested areas of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura — regions that neighbouring India claims as its own. This design follows a constitutional amendment adopted in 2020 under the previous Nepalese government that redefined its official political map.

The note features these territories as integral to Nepal, alongside traditional national symbols such as Mount Everest, the rhododendron watermark, and a one-horned rhino on the reverse. Only the ₹100 denomination bears this map; other banknotes retain the earlier design.

India’s government has sharply condemned the update, calling it a “unilateral” and “artificial” attempt to enlarge territorial claims — and has declared that such a depiction does not alter the ground reality. New Delhi insists the disputed regions legally and historically remain part of India.

The currency revision has reignited a longstanding border row between the two countries, raising concerns over regional diplomacy and cross-border economic interactions. The renewed emphasis on contested areas via everyday currency is seen as a symbolic assertion by Kathmandu, and a challenge to bilateral trust.