Will India soon be given permanent status on the UN Security Council?

The primary international institution for preserving international peace and security is the UN Security Council. The Security Council, the main crisis-management body of the UN, has the authority to impose legally enforceable requirements on the 193 UN member nations in order to preserve peace. It has the authority to bind member states to peacekeeping duties.?

The council's five permanent members and its ten elected members hold regular meetings to discuss threats to global security, such as terrorism, civil wars, and natural disasters. The council's structural continuity since its creation in 1946 has sparked discussion among its members regarding the necessity of revisions.

China, France, The Russian Federation, The United States, and The United Kingdom are the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. The other ten non-permanent members are chosen by the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Each year, the UNSC elects ten non-permanent members to two-year terms. These ten non-permanent seats are distributed among the different geographical areas of the world as follows: five seats are allocated to African and Asian nations (three seats to Africa and two seats to Asia), one to Eastern European nations, two to Latin American and Caribbean nations, and the final two seats are allocated to Western European and other nations. Every two years, the continents of Africa and the Asia-Pacific region alternately present an Arab nation.

India currently is not a part of UNSC's five permanent members, although every year, there is a greater call for India to be admitted. Russia, a trusted partner, has once more backed India's permanent membership in the UNSC. Previously, the UK and France publicly backed India for a permanent membership on the council. India is one of the 10 elected non-permanent council members at the moment.

Why does India want to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council?

An permanent place on the UN Security Council is something that India has long aspired after. According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India was growing impatient with the procedure in 2020. But his frustration produced essentially nothing.

India, Japan, and Germany have received the support of the other permanent members of the council for seats on the council. China opposes India, while the UK, USA, France, and Russia all back it. Despite public declarations to the contrary, none of the P5 members of the UNSC—the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom—wants the growth of the UN. Because doing so would weaken both their authority and dominance over the world. China will veto the nominations of both India and Japan, as is known to the US, the UK, France, and Russia. They can therefore feel secure in endorsing India and Japan, knowing well well that the latter's campaign will fail.?

According to the UN, a "veto" is a "unique voting power" that guarantees that "the resolution or decision would not be passed if any one of the five permanent members cast a negative vote in (UNSC)". The five permanent members of the UNSC are the only ones with a "veto authority."

In order to earn a permanent seat, India has done enough. India has a compelling case to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council given its status as the largest democracy in the world, the fifth-largest economy in the world, a nuclear power, a technological innovator, a country that goes above and beyond to provide COVID vaccinations to developing countries, and one of the biggest contributors of troops to UN peacekeeping missions.

The top UN body for making decisions is the UNSC. The UNSC must approve of decisions like imposing sanctions or carrying out an ICJ judgement. India will be able to influence geopolitics on a larger scale thanks to a permanent seat. India will also have the veto power after becoming a permanent member. This will give India the ability to shape UN decisions to suit its interests. Possessing a veto could put an end to China's support for Pakistan's UN advocacy of the Kashmir issue.

Given that all UN members have benefited from having excellent connections with veto-holding nations, India will likewise have more negotiating power in bilateral relations if it gains a permanent seat on the UNSC. India has to be on par with China in representing its interests before the UN given the escalating border disputes with China, the never-ending Kashmir discussion with Pakistan, and the developing love affair between China and Pakistan. A permanent seat on the council would put a dent in China's Asian power push and reflect India's expanding geopolitical influence.

India certainly have a strong case to become a permanent member of the UNSC, but doing so will prove challenging. The P5 members would never want the cartel to expand, despite the public support for India's membership. China, India's bitter foe, has a constant desire to reduce India's influence around the world.

Only time will tell if India will become a permanent member of the UNSC, but if it does, it will mark a significant shift in the global power balance as the P5 have not changed since the UNSC's formation. This would open a brand-new chapter in the history of the globe, one that chronicles India's quick ascent to superpower status.