At the UN General Assembly in New York, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni argued that any Security Council reform that creates a new permanent category without veto power would render those members second‑class.
The current Council includes five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the UK and the US—each wielding veto, and ten non‑permanent members elected for two‑year terms.
India has long claimed the right to a permanent seat, citing its population, economic weight and regional leadership, and has sought to expand both permanent and non‑permanent categories; it last served on the Council in 2021‑22 and previously held seats in 1950‑51, 1967‑68, 1972‑73, 1977‑78, 1984‑85, 1991‑92 and 2011‑12.
In June 2025 the Asia‑Pacific Group will hold a single non‑permanent seat election, which India and Tajikistan will contest for the 2028‑29 term.
The statement arrived amid a broader debate over the Council’s legitimacy, with some nations calling for reforms to reflect 21st‑century geopolitics.