Explain the factors which justify India’s claim for a permanent seat at the UN security council. (2022/15 marks)
How the answer moves
The flow snapshot — the routes in, the body, the counter-view and the routes out.
Route 1 permanent membership still a 1945 settlement of the war victors → India’s exclusion now the sharpest anomaly
Route 2 not one credential but a convergence → a Council built for the past cannot exclude India and stay legitimate
founding member, universal character (Bhagavan, Ghetto Act) → eight non-permanent terms, sustained engagement → most populous (China 2023) + fourth-largest economy (IMF 2025) + largest democracy + responsible nuclear power (NFU) → peacekeeping, largest cumulative contributor → implementers should shape mandates → voice of the developing world (NAM, G-77, L.69) → backing of four P5 + 120-plus states → 2024 Pact for the Future endorses redressing Africa/Asia under-representation
credentials have not delivered → Council frozen, China non-committal, Pact short on a negotiating text → Shyam Saran: build concrete power, seat not owed
Route 1 the factors justify the claim in justice → convert rising weight into influence
Route 2 merit alone will not open the Council → make the claim irresistible, not merely just
Model answer
Handwritten, in the form it would be written in the examination hall.
Also asked on this head
India and the UN System — 9 questions in the Vault.
- “India must strive to become a semi-permanent member of the UNSC, rather than a permanent member without the right to veto.” Comment. (2024/10 marks)
- Discuss the importance of India’s role in UN
- Explain the importance of India’s claim for a permanent seat in the United Security Council. (2020/15 marks)
How this is taught
The same flow snapshot, built for every head of the syllabus, with the answer written in class.
The first session of Foundation 2027 is published in full.
Six programmes across three levels.