Kathmandu

Nepal on Thursday released its redesigned NPR 100 banknote featuring an updated national map that includes the Indian territories of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani. The new note entered circulation the same day.

In a public notice, Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) said the currency carries enhanced security and identification features. The redesign was approved by the Nepalese Cabinet in May 2024, during a meeting chaired by then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. The notes were printed by China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation, which received the contract last October.

Nepal incorporated the disputed territories into its official map in May 2020 through a constitutional amendment. At the time, India rejected the revised map, calling it a unilateral move not supported by historical facts and contrary to bilateral understandings on resolving boundary issues. India reiterated that such “artificial enlargement” of claims would not be accepted.

New Delhi had also dismissed Nepal’s objection earlier this year to the resumption of India-China border trade through Lipulekh, noting that trade at the pass has been ongoing since 1954 and that Nepal’s claims remain unjustified.

Under the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, the central bank designs currency notes, but any change in design or size requires government approval.

The new NPR 100 note retains the colour and dimensions of the earlier version. It features Mount Everest on the left, a Rhododendron watermark on the right, and illustrations of Nepal’s map and the Ashoka Pillar at the centre. The main artwork depicts a one-horned rhinoceros with its calf, and a tactile black dot has been added for visually impaired users.

The note also includes an oval silver-ink image of Maya Devi, carries the signature of former governor Maha Prasad Adhikari and bears the series number “2081” in Nepali numerals.

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NRB has ordered 300 million pieces of the new note from the Chinese printer at a total cost of about USD 8.99 million, translating to roughly NPR 4.04 per note.