Group Discussion (GD)
Basic Structure
1. Introductory Structure
Typical introduction of every group discussion should carry following essential points:
• Greetings to everyone
• Introduce the topic
• Give the general meaning/ definition/ any introductory line related to the topic
• Provide various dimensions of the topic if you can, classifications, types etc. This provides the
broad headings under which the topic should be discussed such as pros, cons, advantages,
disadvantages etc
• Your opinion (are you in favour or against that topic, you may take one side or both sides)
• Open the house for discussion
2. Body Part
• Start discussion on the points as per direction provided in the introduction
• Initially cover all the important points which you can talk about
• Try to cover each dimension of the topic such as pros and cons
• Try to seek clarification from other members by asking them questions related to what
they said, this helps you to be in discussion
• Ask questions from others, this helps to make others silent and listen to your point
• Provide examples to support your view, examples may be from real life of otherwise
• Try to use these sentences: I don’t agree with you, I agree with your view, let me add
to what you just said, why do you think this is the case, friends let me provide you one
data, friends let me quote the lines of Gandhiji
• Friends if you allow me then I want to put forth my point
• Friends you will agree with me that ……
• Let me tell u an incident or story….
• Try to enter min 3 times during discussion
3. Conclusion Structure
The conclusion of GD is the conclusion of entire group and it must contain the points provided by
each member. Make sure you have jotted down the important points said by members
• On behalf of everyone, I would like to take the initiation to conclude the discussion
• It was quite a healthy/fruitful/ all members exchanged their viewpoint
• We could reach consensus/ though we could not reach any consensus but important points
were discussed
• Discuss some quotes/ viewpoints of your mates which you find quite good, try to mention the
points which you have jotted down
• Go for a very neutral ending; as a coin has got two sides, similarly one must look towards the
positive sides and try to learn from the negative ones.
• Thankyou
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Topic
“India as permanent member of UN”
INTRODUCTION
• Good morning everyone, my name is Shubhya, let me introduce the topic to all of you
• The topic of today’s discussion is “India as permanent member of UN”
Body
Why India should be permanent member of UN
Roadblocks in it
How India can become permanent member of UN
Conclusion
• Friends let me conclude the topic on behalf of entire group.
• Thank You
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Learning Content
About UNSC
• The UN Security Council is the premier global body for maintaining international peace
and security
• The Security Council, the United Nations’ principal crisis-management body, is
empowered to impose binding obligations on the 193 UN member states to maintain
peace
• The Security Council, the United Nations’ principal crisis-management body, is
empowered to impose binding obligations on the member states to maintain peace
• The council’s five permanent and ten elected members meet regularly to assess
threats to international security, including civil wars, natural disasters, arms
proliferation, and terrorism
• Structurally, the council remains largely unchanged since its founding in 1946, stirring
debate among members about the need for reforms
Composition of UN Security Council
• The UN Security Council is composed of 15 members, including five permanent
member states – China, France, Russian Federation, the United States, and the United
Kingdom – and 10 non-permanent member states, which are elected by the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
• Ten non-permanent members are elected to the UNSC every year for a two-year term
• The 10 non-permanent seats are distributed among the regions of the world: five seats
for African and Asian countries (three are for Africa and two for Asia), one for Eastern
European countries, two for Latin American and Caribbean countries, and the
remaining two for Western European and other countries.
• The Africa and Asia Pacific group takes turns every two years to put up an Arab
candidate
Veto power of UNSC member states
• The UN defines ‘veto’ as a “special voting power “, which provides that “if any one of
the five permanent members cast a negative vote in (UNSC), the resolution or decision
would not be approved”.
• However, the “veto power” is restricted to P5 member states of the UN Security
Council. Non-permanent members of the UNSC do not enjoy this privilege.
• Article 27 of the UN Charter says each member of the UNSC shall have one vote and
that decisions on “procedural matters” shall require no more than the affirmative vote
of nine out of the 15 members.
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Need for UNSC Reforms:
• Undemocratic Nature of UNSC: Barring two regions (North America and Europe),
other regions are either underrepresented (like Asia) or not represented at all (Africa,
Latin America and the Small Island developing states).
• Misuse of Veto Power: The veto power is used by P-5 countries to serve the strategic
interest of themselves and their allies.
For example, the United States has casted a veto on Council resolutions 16 times, to
support its ally Israel, concerning Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• Lack of Global Governance: There are no regulatory mechanisms for global commons
like the Internet, Space, High Seas (beyond one’s EEZ-exclusive economic zone).
Also, there is no unanimity on how to deal with global issues like terrorism, climate
change, cybersecurity and public health (as seen in the current pandemic).
Due to all these factors, the former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that the Security
Council must either reform or risk becoming increasingly irrelevant.
Case for Permanent Membership of India in UNSC:
• India’s Historic Association with the UN System: India is the founding member of the UN.
o India, till now has been elected for eight terms for a two-year non-permanent member
seat.
o Most significantly, India has almost twice the number of peacekeepers deployed on the
ground than by P5 countries.
• India’s Intrinsic Value: India being the largest democracy and second-most populous country
(soon to become most populous) in the world, are the primary reasons for it to be granted
permanent membership in UNSC.
o Also, India is one of the largest economies and fastest-growing economies of the world.
• India’s Geopolitical Footprint: India's acquired status of a Nuclear Weapons State (NWS) in
May 1998 also makes India a natural claimant as a permanent member similar to the existing
permanent members who are all Nuclear Weapon States.
o Also, India has been inducted in various export control regimes like MTCR, Wassenaar
arrangement, etc.
o India’s international profile and capabilities rise due to its ever-expanding global footprint
in diverse areas like politics, sustainable development, economics, and culture and science
and technology.
• Representing the developing World: India is the undisputed leader of the Third world
countries, as reflected by its leadership role in the Non-Aligned Movement.
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Road Blocks in India’s Bid for Permanent Membership:
• It is argued by critics that India has still not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
and also refused to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 1996.
• China, which has veto power in the UNSC being one of its five permanent members, has been
stonewalling India's efforts to become a permanent member.
• Though India is a bright spot in the global economy and its macroeconomic fundamentals
are stable, it shows poor performance in many socio-economic indicators like the Human
Development Index.
• India’s capacity to project its military power beyond the Indian Ocean region is still to be
tested. Further, India heavily relies on weaponry imports from US and Russia for its military
requirements.
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Why the reforms at UNSC are unavoidable now?
To meet the evolved Geopolitics
• UNSC was composed by victors of the Second World War in 1945 to suit their interests and
the UN Charter was designed accordingly, giving to themselves the permanent membership
and veto power in the council.
• However, the geopolitical, strategic, economic realities have changed considerably since then,
but the UNSC has not reformed itself to these global realities
Inadequate representation
• With global economic and population fulcrum shifting to Indo-Pacific, inadequate Asian
representation and no African and Latin American representation are pushing UN to
irrelevance, unless it reforms itself
Powerplay of the P5
• Currently, the governing capacity of the international security relations rests with the elite
class of countries
• The veto powers enjoyed by the permanent members of UNSC doesn’t seem to suit the
current global security needs
• Further, the UNSC has not been successful in understanding the international changes and
dynamics in the area of human security and peace
Why India should be granted permanent membership?
Emerging Global Power
• India, after 75 years of independence, has emerged as one of the major powers in global
politics; which represents one-sixth of the global population
• It is also the world’s fifth largest economy and third largest in terms of purchasing power parity
as of 2020.
• Also, India has taken the lead in calling for New International Economic Order (NIEO) by
reforming the international organizations
• Further, at times of challenges, India has been at the forefront in raising its voice for
cooperation and shared responsibilities.
Long Historical ties with UN
• India shares a long historic relationship with the UN and its contemporary role in the global
arena
• India’s contribution to the international community is undeniable.
• India also adheres to the Principle of Panchsheel whose relevance is timeless
• The principle of Panchsheel is based on Mutual respect for sovereignty, non-aggression, non-
interference, equality and peaceful coexistence. These principles can be highly significant to
UN Charter to work towards peace and security in cooperation
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India’s stand on disarmament and non-violence
• India has stood to uphold non-discriminatory and transparent working in international
organisations
• India has time and again reiterated its stand as a responsible nuclear weapons state and its
deterrence to no first use and non-use against non-nuclear states
• India has often criticised the discriminatory and undemocratic nature of the NPT (Non-
proliferation treaty)
Active International participation
• India has been an active participant in international events and treaties like UN peacekeeping
mission, development goals, sustainable development, climate change and anti-terrorism
• India has provided more than 200,000 officers to UN peacekeeping missions
• India is also contributed to the UN in fighting against global challenges such as terrorism,
climate change, energy security, refugee crisis, pandemics and restructuring the existing
international economic world order
As an added representative from Asian region
• In the recent times, India’s shift from non-alignment to multi-alignment shows that India can
maintain good parallel relations with all major and minor powers in the international system
• India’s membership can be demanded based on its economic growth, size, democratization,
political stability, the rise of soft-power, nuclear power, military power and its emergence as
a rising power in the South Asian region
Tracing India’s run to permanent membership at UNSC
• In 1992, India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan (referred as G4) had put up their claims and logic
for demanding inclusion as permanent members
• Besides G4 countries South Africa (largest economy in African Continent) is also a claimant, as
the Continent remains unrepresented on high table of permanent members
• In retaliation, the pitch for reforms of G4 was lowered by their regional rivals like Italy,
Pakistan, Mexico and Egypt, which started formulation of another interest group, known to
be “Uniting for Consensus” opposing G4 becoming permanent members with a veto power.
• The efforts for expansion of UNSC and reforms were also made in the form of the General
Assembly Task Force on Security Council Reform and 2005 Kofi Annan’s Plan to expand to 24
member UNSC, with various combinations for equitable representation, but none of the
initiatives have worked so far
• The USA has time and again supported India’s bid for permanent membership in 2010 and
again in 2017
• Recently in 2020, France also supported India’s candidacy for permanent seat in the UNSC
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What would be India’s aspirations being a permanent member at UNSC?
• Being a “pen holder” as the permanent member of the Security Council, India would similarly
assume the mantle of international peace and security decision-making
• The powerful body would provide it the much-needed leverage to expand its global geo-
political and geo-economic clout
• It would serve as an equalizer to China and an emerging hegemon in Asia, and an ever
increasing strategic and security concern in its immediate neighborhood and beyond
• As India’s international profile and capabilities rise due to its ever expanding global and
regional footprint in diverse areas such as politics, development, economics, culture and
science and technology, India wishes to shift its international position from a rule taker (a
constrained role) to a rule maker (a system shaping role)
• The Indian attempts at joining various regimes like the MTCR (Missile Technology Control
Regime) and the ongoing, high-pitched campaign to join the NSG amply indicate that India is
no more satisfied with being either the target or a mere follower of various international
norms and rules, and now wants to shape and align them to suit Indian ideas and interests
