UNITED NATIONS, April 15 -- India has asserted that reform of the United Nations Security Council without expansion in the permanent category with veto would perpetuate existing imbalances and inequities in the global body.

Addressing the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reforms, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Parvathaneni Harish cautioned that creating a new category, with or without veto, would complicate already wide-ranging discussions.

He underlined that the Council's lack of legitimacy and representativeness stems from two core issues - membership and veto - noting broad agreement on the urgent need for reform as the current structure, designed over 80 years ago, no longer reflects present geop...