Why is it time India gets UNSC permanent membership?

International

oi-Deepika S

New
Delhi,
Sep
24:
Pitching
for
permanent
membership
in
the
United
Nations
Security
Council
(UNSC),
External
Affairs
Minister
S
Jaishankar
said
not
having
a
country
like
India
in
the
key
global
councils,
is
not
good
for
us
nor
is
it
good
for
the
global
body.

Calling
the
inclusion
“overdue”,
Jaishankar
once
again
batted
for
multilateralism
in
the
global
order.
“We
believe
that
transformation
is
overdue
because
the
UN
is
a
product
that
was
devised
eighty
years
ago.
And
80
years
ago
by
any
standards
of
human
creativity
is
a
long
time
ago.
The
number
of
independent
countries
has
quadrupled
in
that
period,
Jaishankar
said,
adding
that
there
are
big
parts
of
the
world
that
are
left
out,”
Jaishankar
said.

Jaishankar’s
call
for
India’s
permanent
seat
is
significant
given
the
role
played
by
India
during
the
Covid
pandemic
and
the
war
in
Ukraine.

Also,
India
is
emerging
as
a
global
leader
and
has
gained
the
trust
of
very
large
parts
of
the
world.

For
a
more
representative
UN

The
effectiveness
of
the
UNSC
has
been
questioned
following
the
Russian
invasion
of
Ukraine.
The
world
body
has
faced
steady
calls
for
reforms
and
India
has
been
at
the
forefront
of
the
lobby.

The
United
Nations
Security
Council
veto
power
is
concentrated
among
the
five
permanent
members
US,
UK,
France,
China,
and
Russia.
China
has
been
the
major
hurdle
to
India
which
uses
its
veto
power
to
keep
the
former
out.
While,
India
has
been
perceived
as
the
voice
of
global
south.

India,
a
global
voice

Amid
the
ongoing
Russian
invasion
of
Ukraine,
the
global
order
is
undergoing
a
churn.
In
this
fragmented
world,
India’s
democratic
credentials
make
it
a
reliable
partner
of
the
west,
and
its
independent
foreign
policy
gives
it
the
leverage
to
engage
closely
with
other
nations
not
in
the
western
orbit
as
well.

Amid
the
rise
of
China
in
the
south,
India
could
emerge
as
a
responsible
global
stakeholder
and
deserves
to
be
involved
in
global
governance
and
decision-making.

India’s
role
in
Covid
Pandemic

World
leaders
have
hailed
India
for
its
help
and
support
in
combating
the
Covid-19
pandemic
through
“early
and
meaningful”
shipments
of
the
vaccine
doses.

They
expressed
their
gratitude
to
India
and
other
nations
for
the
help
provided
through
the
exports
of
vaccines.

India
has
led
efforts
at
vaccine
equity
and
getting
favourable
policies
for
the
developing
world
at
the
WTO.

India’s
role
at
UNSC
is
also
crucial
in
targeting
issues
like
terrorism,
maritime
security,
and
a
free
and
open
Indo-Pacific.

Emerging
economy

India
has
emerged
as
the
world’s
fifth-largest
economy
and
is
now
behind
only
the
US,
China,
Japan,
and
Germany

It
will
surpass
China
as
the
world’s
most
populous
country
too.
India,
therefore,
should
find
a
permanent
place
at
the
UNSC.

UNSC
composition

The
UNSC
comprises
15
members,
including
10
non-permanent
and
five
permanent
members.
The
193-member
UNSC
holds
elections
every
year
to
elect
five
non-permanent
members
for
a
two-year
term
at
the
UN.

Apart
from
this,
there
are
five
permanent
members
of
the
Council-China,
France,
Russia,
the
UK
and
the
US.

China
is
the
only
country
that
has
not
yet
supported
India’s
bid
to
become
a
member
of
the
UNSC.
India
has
been
pressing
for
permanent
membership
in
the
UNSC
which
has
primary
responsibility
for
the
maintenance
of
international
peace
and
security.

India’s
claims
to
a
permanent
seat
in
the
UNSC
are
based
on
the
following
grounds:

• India,
  which
  represents
  one-sixth
  of
  the
  global
  population,
  has
  a
  rightful
  claim
  to
  the
  permanent
  membership
  of
  the
  United
  Nations
  Security
  Council.
• India
  is
  one
  of
  the
  founding
  members
  of
  the
  UNSC.
  New
  Delhi
  has
  been
  elected
  as
  a
  non-permanent
  member
  of
  the
  Council
  seven
  times
  during
  the
  years-
  1950-1951,
  1967-1968,
  1972-1973,
  1977-1978,
  1984-1985,
  1991-1992,
  and
  most
  recently
  in
  2011-2012.
• India
  has
  always
  upheld
  its
  principles
  and
  credentials
  while
  some
  other
  countries
  consider
  the
  organisation
  as
  merely
  a
  talk
  shop.
• India
  has
  also
  made
  an
  impressive
  contribution
  to
  the
  UN
  Peacekeeping
  Force
  (UNPKF).
• India
  is
  emerging
  as
  the
  third
  largest
  economy
  in
  the
  world,
  it
  will
  be
  the
  most
  populous
  society
  in
  the
  world.