India will look to boost its diplomatic strength at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations as it embarks upon a two-year terms of sitting as a non-permanent member in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) from January 1, 2021.


As per sources tracking this development, four diplomats over the course of the next 2-3 months will join India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, to enhance its 14-member strength at the UN security council and provide impetus to its place among the elite member nations who are on the UNSC ahead of the nations's two year-term at world's apex security council body from January 1, 2021.

At present, India’s Permanent Mission to the UN currently has 14 diplomats. Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu is the Deputy Permanent Representative.

The diplomats who will join the PMI team, under the leadership of India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti, are R Ravindra (IFS: 1999), who is currently Joint Secretary (Central and West Africa Division), Pratik Mathur (IFS 2007), currently posted as Deputy Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office, Ashish Sharma (IFS 2009) and Rajesh Parihar (IFS 2009), who is First Secretary (Economic & Commerce) at the Indian Embassy in Beijing.

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India was an outright favourite to get endorsed and elected along with 4 other nations to the 5-member non permanent seats at the UNSC after securing a thumping win, securing 184 out of the 192 ballots cast in the elections held earlier in June.

In 2021, India, Norway, Ireland, Kenya and Mexico will form part of the non permanent members in the Security Council along with five permanent members China, France, Russia, UK and the US as well as already serving non-permanent members Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam.

India returns to serve as one of the non permanent members of the UNSC after it had been previously elected as a non-permanent member of the Council for the years 1950—1951, 1967—1968, 1972—1973, 1977—1978, 1984—1985, 1991—1992 and most recently in 2011—2012.