International Relations

Jaishankar to Launch India's Campaign for a 2028-29 UN Security Council Seat

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Saturday, 11 July 2026 2 min readSource: The New Indian ExpressArticle 8 of 11

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will launch India's official campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term at a special event at the UN headquarters and hold talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during his visit to the US. Jaishankar, who concluded a four-nation tour of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman (July 5-10), is expected to arrive in the US on Saturday. Elections for the term will be held in June 2027, when India and Tajikistan will compete for the sole seat in the Asia-Pacific Group category. India last sat on the Council for the 2021-22 term. India's campaign message is '#India4UNSC 2028-29 Peace, Planet, Progress.' Jaishankar will also attend the 3rd India-EU Trade and Technology Council meeting in Brussels on July 14-15.

Key Facts & Details

9 points

1
EAM S. Jaishankar will launch India's official campaign for a non-permanent UNSC seat for the 2028-29 term at the UN headquarters.
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He will meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the visit.
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Elections for the term will be held in June 2027, with India and Tajikistan competing for the sole Asia-Pacific Group seat.
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India last served on the UN Security Council during the 2021-22 term.
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India's candidature slogan is '#India4UNSC 2028-29 Peace, Planet, Progress.'
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Jaishankar had concluded a four-nation Gulf tour of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman from July 5-10, and will attend the 3rd India-EU Trade and Technology Council meeting in Brussels on July 14-15.

Deep Dive

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India has long pressed for reform of the UN Security Council, arguing that the 15-nation Council, founded in 1945, does not reflect contemporary geopolitical realities.
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India seeks expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, warning that expanding only the non-permanent category would not change the power structure of the five permanent members.
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India's Permanent Representative to the UN is Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni.

Exam Focus

The term India is contesting for (2028-29), the competing country (Tajikistan) in the Asia-Pacific Group, India's last UNSC term (2021-22), and its campaign slogan.

Exam Relevance & Angle

India's UNSC candidature is a marquee international relations topic. Examiners test the exact term (2028-29), the year of elections, the competing state, the regional group, and India's last tenure. It also links to the recurring theme of UN Security Council reform, a favourite in current-affairs and interview segments.

Target Exams

SBI POIBPS POSSC CGLRRB NTPCUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

The UN Security Council is the UN organ primarily responsible for maintaining international peace and security. It has 15 members — five permanent members (the US, UK, France, Russia and China) with veto power, and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly. Non-permanent seats are distributed across regional groups, and India contests from the Asia-Pacific Group. Founded in 1945, the Council's structure has drawn sustained calls for reform to reflect a changed world. India has served as a non-permanent member several times, most recently in 2021-22, and has consistently argued that it deserves a permanent seat at the horseshoe table.