Nepal’s central bank, the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), has issued a new Rs 100 banknote featuring a revised map of the country, including the disputed territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura. India has termed this move an ‘artificial enlargement’ and called it a ‘unilateral act’, asserting that the territories belong to it. The note bears the signature of former NRB Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari. The date of issuance is marked as 2081 BS, which corresponds to 2024.
During the K P Sharma Oli-led government, Nepal updated the map through parliamentary endorsement in May 2020. NRB clarified that the map had appeared on earlier Rs 100 notes and has now been revised in line with government directives. Unlike other denominations such as Rs 10, Rs 50, Rs 500, and Rs 1,000, only the Rs 100 note displays the map.
Rs 100 Banknote Design
The front of the note shows Mount Everest on the left, a rhododendron watermark on the right, a faint green map at the centre, and the Ashok Pillar with Lumbini printed nearby. The reverse features a one-horned rhino, along with a security thread and an embossed black dot to assist visually impaired users.
Nepal shares a 1,850 km border with Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
