Is the UN Security Council itself secured? Is it able to work according to the principles for which it was formed? Does it represent the majority of the world today? No, it has failed to live up to its standards. It has failed to meet its objective of protecting the weaker nations from the clutches of aggression. It has failed to address the issues of the weaker nations because of the poor representation of the majority of the world in it.

The main reason for this has been the unipolar world which was created after the Cold War. With US being the sole superpower in the world today, it has virtually hijacked the Security Council and for that matter, the whole UN. This has lead to a US hegemony in the world. Be it Iraq or Afghanistan, US did whatever it felt was right, without caring about the opinion of the other members of UN.
So, there is an urgent need of strengthening the Security Council and for that matter, the whole UN. The Security Council which exists today does not reflect the reality of the world at present. For effective representation of the majority of the world in it, it has to be expanded to include not just the acknowledged powers of the world, but developing countries too. In other words, it should include countries which represent the majority of the world and India fits that bill. Today, with substantial economic weight and political influence to back it up, India is emerging as one of the major power centers of the world. Amidst the rise of China and India and the strategic volatility of the Middle East, the centre of gravity of international politics is shifting from Europe to Asia. Global demographics reinforce this trend.

India has been eyeing this seat for many years now. This time it is within striking distance from this seat. For this purpose it has formed a group with countries like Japan, Germany and Brazil. Collectively they are known as G-4. The G-4 had pushed for a vote by the General Assembly on its council expansion resolution before the end of July. But date for this vote has been repeatedly postponed due to resistance from some of the countries.

Under the draft tabled by the G-4 in early July, the total number of seats in the council would increase to 25 from the present 15 by adding six permanent seats and four non-permanent seats. It also provides for a 15-year freeze on the exercise of the veto power by the new permanent members, after the five veto-wielding permanent members of the council outrightly rejected the proposal of giving veto power to the new permanent members for at least the first 15 years.
In circulating both the draft of a framework resolution on Security Council reform and an ambitious timetable for the United Nations General Assembly to vote on it, India, Japan, Germany, and Brazil have taken their quest for permanent membership of the world body's highest organ to a point of no return. So long as the discussion on reform remained confined to the theoretical front, the countries concerned could afford to be expansive in their ambitions. Not any more. The G-4's ship has set sail and cannot now be recalled. On the choppy seas ahead lie two, and only two, outcomes. The four Governments must either meet success - collectively or singly - or face the bitterness, loss of international prestige and ignominy on the home front that defeat will inevitably bring with it.
There lies the problem for India. According to the resolution of the G-4, all the countries should collectively meet the objective of the group. But this is not possible as going by the current developments, it's very apparent that no permanent member is willing to support all the members of the G-4.
US is supportive of the inclusion of Japan in the council because of its close proximity with it, but it is opposed to Germany, India and Brazil. Similarly, China is not supportive of India and Japan due to some geostrategic and geopolitical reasons. In other words, G-4 can be seen as the 'albatross' around India's neck.
Even AU (African Union) is not that supportive of the G-4 resolution. Recently, it rejected a compromise deal on the Security Council reform. It said that it is not supportive of all the members of G-4. But AU is of utmost importance to G-4 as without its support, it won't be able to reach the magic number of 127.
And to make matters worse, there is always UFC (Uniting For Consensus), the group headed by countries like Pakistan, South Korea, Mexico etc., who are hell-bent on making the resolution of G-4 a failure.
After all these recent developments, India has to tread the path towards Security Council very cautiously. Any wrong step can result in one of the biggest blunders that India has ever made internationally. The present situation will test the mettle of the Indian political leadership. It will show whether Indian political think tank still prefers to go ahead with an ideological frame of mind or is it capable of being practical as and when the situation demands!