# India tells UN General Assembly that the Security Council faces a 'legitimacy deficit'

URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-24/unsc-reform-legitimacy-deficit-india/
Date: 24 October 2026 (2026-10-24)
Source: The Hindu, Page 10
UPSC papers: GS2
Publisher: upsc.help (Pratidin), free and open-source UPSC Civil Services current affairs. Not affiliated with UPSC. Every fact was checked against the source reports by a separate review before publishing.

**In one line:** On 22 October 2026, India told the UN General Assembly that the Security Council's authority from 1945 cannot make up for its present lack of legitimacy, and asked for real, text-based reform.

India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, told the UN General Assembly on Thursday, 22 October 2026, that the "authority derived from a victory eight decades ago cannot compensate for the deficit in legitimacy" of an unrepresentative Security Council. He spoke in the Assembly's annual debate on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council. He described the UN as "crafted of the victors, for the victors and by the victors", said "we cannot reasonably drive into the future by constantly looking at the rearview mirror", and added that "reform is not the settlement of old scores."

India's demands were specific. It wants expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, arguing that adding only non-permanent seats would leave the central imbalance untouched. On the veto, he said, "As long as it exists, it must be held by all permanent members, new and old alike", because "a two-tier permanent membership would only institutionalise inequality." He criticised the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN), the General Assembly process on Council reform: for well over a decade and a half, he said, members have "exchanged prepared statements" with no text, timeframe or end goal, and "convergences are not consensus." India wants text-based negotiations, a more transparent Council, and a stronger voice for troop- and police-contributing countries.

The Council has 15 members: five permanent members with a veto (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. The speech noted that the Asia-Pacific Group holds more than 60% of the world's population but has one permanent seat and one or two elected seats a year, while Europe has two permanent and three elected seats. India, which is seeking a non-permanent seat for 2028-29, is part of the G4 with Brazil, Germany and Japan, which back each other's claims to permanent seats. The Uniting for Consensus group, which includes Italy and Pakistan, opposes new permanent seats. Any change needs a Charter amendment that all five permanent members must ratify, which is why reform has stalled since the only expansion, in force from 1965.

## Prelims facts

- On 22 October 2026 India told the UN General Assembly that the Security Council suffers a 'deficit in legitimacy' that a 1945 victory cannot make up.
- India seeks expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories, and says any veto must be held by all permanent members, new and old.
- India called the Intergovernmental Negotiations an exchange of prepared statements without a text, and demanded text-based negotiations.
- The Asia-Pacific Group has more than 60% of the world's population but one permanent seat; Europe has two permanent seats.
- India is seeking a non-permanent Council seat for 2028-29; the G4 is Brazil, Germany, India and Japan.

## Quick recall

- **Who is India's Permanent Representative to the UN who spoke on 22 October 2026?** Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni.
- **How many members does the Security Council have?** 15: five permanent with veto, ten elected for two-year terms.
- **When was the Council last expanded?** By an amendment adopted in 1963 that came into force in 1965, from 11 to 15 members.
- **Which Charter article governs amendments?** Article 108: two-thirds of the General Assembly plus ratification by two-thirds of members including all five permanent members.
- **Members of the G4?** Brazil, Germany, India and Japan.
- **What does resolution 76/262 (2022) do?** Requires the General Assembly to meet after a veto is cast in the Security Council.
- **India's position on the veto?** As long as it exists, it must be held by all permanent members, new and old alike.
- **For which term is India seeking a non-permanent seat?** 2028-29.

## Prelims practice question

With reference to the United Nations Security Council, consider the following statements:
1. Its non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms.
2. An amendment to the UN Charter comes into force only after ratification by two-thirds of UN members, including all permanent members of the Council.
3. The Council has been expanded twice since 1945.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only. Statement 1 is correct: the ten non-permanent members serve two-year terms. Statement 2 is correct: under Article 108, amendments need a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of members, including all five permanent members. Statement 3 is incorrect: the Council has been expanded only once, from 11 to 15 members, by an amendment adopted in 1963 that came into force in 1965.

## UPSC previous-year questions this connects to

- UPSC Mains 2015, GS2: Discuss the impediments India is facing in its pursuit of a permanent seat in UNSC. (https://upsc.help/pyq/q011-impediments-india-facing-pursuit-permanent-seat-unsc/)
  How to use this story in the answer: Use India's latest statement to list the structural, procedural and political impediments to a permanent seat.
- UPSC Mains 2025, GS2: "The reform process in the United Nations remains unresolved, because of the delicate imbalance of East and West and entanglement of the USA vs. Russo-Chinese alliance." Examine and critically evaluate the East-West policy confrontations in this regard. (https://upsc.help/pyq/q012-reform-process-united-nations-remains-unresolved-because/)
  How to use this story in the answer: Use it to argue that reform is stuck as much by structure and regional blocs as by East-West confrontation.

## Mains practice question

"Authority derived from a victory eight decades ago cannot compensate for the deficit in legitimacy." Examine India's case for reform of the UN Security Council and the obstacles to it. (250 words)

### Model answer

On 22 October 2026, India told the UN General Assembly that the Security Council, shaped by the victors of 1945, suffers a deficit in legitimacy in today's world.

## India's case
- **Representation:** the Asia-Pacific Group holds over 60% of humanity but one permanent seat; Europe has two. Africa has no permanent seat.
- **Effectiveness:** India argues the Council's inability to act on conflicts is eroding the UN's credibility.
- **Both categories:** expanding only non-permanent seats, as in the 1960s, leaves the imbalance intact. India's April 2026 IGN statement noted the ratio moved from 5:6 to 5:10 without diluting veto power.
- **Veto equality:** 'as long as it exists' it must be held by all permanent members; a two-tier membership 'would only institutionalise inequality'.
- **India's credentials:** about 2.5 million Indians served in the Second World War (as India's envoy noted); India seeks a 2028-29 seat and backs the G4 claim.

## Obstacles
- **Article 108:** amendment needs ratification by two-thirds of members, including all five permanent members, who can block change.
- **Rival blocs:** Uniting for Consensus, including Italy and Pakistan, rejects new permanent seats.
- **Process:** the IGN has run without a negotiating text; India says members only 'exchanged prepared statements'.
- **Veto restraint has limited bite:** India noted 24 vetoes on 20 drafts since resolution 76/262 of 2022.

## Way forward
- Push text-based negotiations with a timeframe.
- Build cross-regional coalitions with the African Group and L.69.
- Improve working methods meanwhile: transparency and a voice for troop contributors.

Reform is about making the Council fit for today's world, which is ultimately in the interest of the UN's own credibility.

## The basics

## Why this matters
Security Council reform is one of India's oldest foreign policy goals and one of UPSC's most repeated themes. India's speech of 22 October 2026 restated its case sharply: the Council's authority comes from winning a war in 1945, but its legitimacy today depends on representing the world as it is.

## How the Council is built
The Council has 15 members. Five are permanent and hold a veto. Ten are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. Decisions on substantive matters need nine votes and no veto from a permanent member. See The veto for how that power works.

## Only one reform in eighty years
The Council grew from 11 to 15 members through an amendment adopted in 1963 and in force from 1965, when only non-permanent seats were added. India's April 2026 statement to the IGN noted that this changed the ratio of veto-holders to elected members from 5:6 to 5:10 without diluting the veto. Since then UN membership has grown to 193, but the Council has not changed. The reason is the amendment rule in Article 108 of the UN Charter.

## The rival models
India and its G4 partners want new permanent and non-permanent seats. A rival group rejects new permanent seats. The details are in G4 and Uniting for Consensus.

## Why the process is stuck
Reform talks happen in the Intergovernmental Negotiations, which have run in the General Assembly since 2009 without an agreed negotiating text. India says members have only 'exchanged prepared statements' for over a decade and a half. Its envoy put it simply: 'convergences are not consensus.'

## Sources

- https://www.dtnext.in/news/world/organisation-founded-80-years-ago-struggling-to-deliver-peace-today-india-on-need-for-unsc-reforms
- https://pminewyork.gov.in/IndiaatUNGA?id=NTUzOA
- https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/india-says-80-year-old-unsc-structure-ill-equipped-for-global-challenges-calls-for-reforms
- https://anantamias.com/current-affairs/un-security-council-faces-a-legitimacy-deficit-says-india/
- https://superkalam.com/current-affairs/24-10-2026/un-security-council-faces-a-legitimacy-deficit-says-india-pg10-da270552-82da-4379-8460-0dbfed6dcf53