Students unable to learn about Nepal's new political map

Published On: September 14, 2023 05:46 PM NPT By: Bhuwan Sharma

KATHMANDU, Sept 14: Three years ago, following parliament's approval of Nepal's new political map, the Survey Department measured the territory according to the updated map and sent the file to the ministry on October 21, 2022. However, as of now, the file remains stalled in the planning division of the ministry. During the time this file was pending in the ministry, the Curriculum Development Center published a book intended for school-level instruction, which included an area of 460.28 square kilometers, encompassing Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura.

The book stated that Nepal's total area is 1,47,641.28 square kilometers, with Komal Chandra Baral listed as the author. After receiving approval from the Ministry of Education, the Curriculum Development Center proceeded to publish the book.

Subsequently, the Office of the Prime Minister issued strict instructions not to release the book to the market, citing that the inclusion of this new area had not been verified. The Office of the Prime Minister stated that the territory was added to the textbook without proper authentication. However, the Curriculum Development Center asserted that the area had been included in the book based on measurements conducted by the Survey Department.

In response to the instructions from the Office of the Prime Minister, the printed books were not distributed in the market, and some already-distributed copies were recalled. A source within the Ministry of Land Management revealed, “Officials from the Office of the Prime Minister held consultations with senior officials from the Ministry of Land Management regarding the syllabus that included the new area of Nepal. The senior officials from the Ministry of Land Management suggested that it would be appropriate to incorporate the new area into the curriculum only after the proposal sent by the Survey Department receives formal approval from the Council of Ministers.”

However, the ministry has not yet forwarded the proposal sent by the Survey Department, leaving students unable to study the curriculum prepared in accordance with the new map, according to a senior ministry employee.

Following the release of the new map, the Ministry of Land Management directed the Survey Department to measure Nepal's official area based on the updated map. Accordingly, the department's personnel measured Nepal's territory. According to sources, during this process, some high-ranking employees of the Survey Department visited Changru, Kalapani. Prior to the map update, Nepal's area was recorded as 147,181 square kilometers, based on measurements conducted in 1983.

In 1983, the Land Resources Mapping Project (LRMP), with support from the Canadian government, submitted a report stating that Nepal's total area was 147,181 square kilometers. The government recognized this as the official territory of Nepal. According to border experts, the LRMP initially submitted its report to the Survey Department, which then passed it to the Ministry of Land Management. From there, it was forwarded to the National Planning Commission. Later on, the planning commission submitted it to the Central Bureau of Statistics, now known as the National Statistics Office. The Survey Department has treated the LRMP report as an official document.

The Survey Department has reported that the combined area of Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura is approximately 335 square kilometers. If this area is added to Nepal's total territory, it would amount to an estimated 1,47,516 square kilometers, although this figure has not yet received official recognition. The map of Nepal released in 2032 BS did not include the territory of approximately 335 square kilometers encompassing Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. On May 20, 2020, the Government of Nepal issued a new political map of Nepal, encompassing territory that includes Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura.

Prior to this, the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of parliament had instructed the government to release a new map of Nepal covering the territory, including Limpiyadhura, on October 24, 2019. Considering Limpiyadhura as the source of the Mahakali River, the committee had issued three directives to the government to publish a new political map of Nepal, incorporating the areas of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani.

On November 4, 2019, following India's release of a new political map that included Nepal's territory, widespread opposition ensued. Approximately seven days later, on October 11, 2019, the State Affairs Committee of parliament instructed the government to publish a new political map of Nepal, including Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani. Subsequently, the government unveiled a new political map on May 20, 2020.