India TV Fact Check: A video is going viral on social media with a claim that India has been granted permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and has acquired veto power following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's participation and at the 79th UN General Assembly session. However, when India TV fact-checked this video it was confirmed that it is false.
What is the claim?
Several videos circulating on social media claim that India has been granted permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) with veto power. These videos explain the process and showcase reactions from global leaders regarding India's entry into the UNSC as a permanent member.
An X user shared the viral video on September 26 and wrote, "BHARAT GOT A PERMANENT MEMBERSHIP IN UNSC WITH VETO POWER! CONGRATULATIONS India has got permanent membership with veto power in the Security Council of the United Nations. Earlier only five countries had this status. Now there are six countries. Hearty congratulations and best wishes."
India TV did investigation
As the video was going viral on social media, we decided to investigate this claim. We conducted a Google Open Search with relevant keywords but found no news reports confirming that such a status has been granted to India. Then we looked at the official social media handles of the United Nations and Indian government but did not find any posts regarding it.
Further, when we searched for 'UN Veto Power' on Google, we saw a 'Voting System' section on the official United Nations website. In the 'Right to Veto' section, it clearly outlines that only the five permanent members of the UNSC—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—hold veto power.
Notably, the UNSC consists 15 members—five permanent members with veto power (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and ten non-permanent members. The non-permanent members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms, without veto rights.
What came out in fact check?
The fact check conducted by India TV confirmed that India has not been granted permanent membership in the UNSC with veto power. Currently, only the five permanent members of the UNSC—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—possess the exclusive 'right to veto.' The viral claim circulating on social media was found to be false. Users are advised to be cautious of such videos.
