UNSC Power Imbalance and India?s Push for Reform

Pragat Chauhan

Abstract: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), while central to the institutional architecture of global governance, remains structurally anachronistic, reflecting the hegemonic stability of the post-1945 liberal international order. This article critically interrogates the entrenched power asymmetries within the UNSC, foregrounding the structural marginalization of the Global South and the normative disjuncture between contemporary geopolitical realities and institutional representation. Through a constructivist and critical institutionalist lens, the analysis situates India?s long-standing reform agenda within broader discourses of global justice, multilateralism, and the democratization of international regimes. It examines both the formal veto-centric power configuration and the informal dynamics of elite persistence that constrain substantive reform. The article further explores the Council?s ongoing legitimacy deficit and the erosion of its normative authority amid shifting global power constellations. It ultimately argues for a reconstituted and inclusive Security Council that better reflects the multipolarity of the 21st-century international system and enhances the democratic legitimacy of global governance.

Keywords: Global South, Power asymmetry, Global governance, Legitimacy deficit, Multilateralism, Democratization of International institutions

How to Cite?: Pragat Chauhan, "UNSC Power Imbalance and India?s Push for Reform", Volume 14 Issue 7, July 2025, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1833-1836, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR25729210404, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR25729210404