India, Oct. 6 -- External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday said the United Nations needs urgent reform, arguing that the global body has increasingly failed to play a meaningful role in decisions on major international crises, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Gulf.

Jaishankar made the remarks while responding to a question during an interactive session at the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave in Delhi, news agency PTI reported.

He was asked about the future of the UN and multilateral institutions amid growing questions over their effectiveness in addressing global challenges.

"Where the UN is concerned, I think it's obvious to everybody by now that the UN is gridlocked. If you look at the big issues of the day, whether you lo...