Nepal Drops Disputed Kalapani Map From New Re 1 Coin, Retains It on Re 2 Coin Amid Political Row

The Nepal government has approved the minting of newly designed one-rupee and two-rupee coins, removing the country's controversial political map featuring Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani from the Re 1 coin while retaining it on the Re 2 coin, a move that has triggered political criticism despite officials describing it as a technical redesign.

The Council of Ministers last week cleared a proposal by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to introduce lighter, smaller steel coins. Under the new design, the Re 1 coin will replace the disputed map with the image of Lo Ghyakar Monastery in Mustang, one of Nepal's oldest Buddhist monasteries. The Re 2 coin, however, will continue to feature the political map on one side, while the reverse will depict the Janaki Temple.

Nepal claims Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territory, whereas India maintains that all three areas are part of Uttarakhand. Kathmandu adopted the revised map in 2020 under the then K P Sharma Oli government following a border dispute, and the map was later incorporated into official symbols, including a Rs 100 banknote issued in 2025. India has consistently rejected the revised map, stating that unilateral actions cannot alter the ground reality.

NRB spokesperson Guru Prasad Paudel said the detailed map could not be accommodated on the smaller Re 1 coin, stressing that the redesign was driven by space constraints rather than any policy change. The Re 1 coin's weight has been reduced from 4 grams to 3.2 grams, while the Re 2 coin will weigh 3.8 grams instead of 5 grams. Both coins will be made of steel instead of mixed metal and will have a steel-white finish.

Senior Nepali Communist Party leader Bhim Rawal criticised the decision, calling it a "serious anti-national move" and demanding clarification from Prime Minister Balen Shah's government, arguing that removing the disputed map from the Re 1 coin undermines Nepal's territorial position.