Maintaining that its strategic capabilities were not targeted against any particular country, India has said that it abides by all applicable international obligations and expects others do the same, while responding to Chinese reaction to its test-firing of Agni V missile.
He said China understands India's concerns over the issue.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told an all-party meeting that at least 100 terrorists were killed in the Indian strikes on terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under 'Operation Sindoor'. Leaders from various parties showed maturity and extended all support to the government and armed forces.
India was elected to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member with a thumping majority of votes, including that of Pakistan, in what was quickly described by New Delhi as significant.
During a special briefing on Afghanistan, Deputy Ambassador to the UN Manjeev Puri said the security situation in Afghanistan remains fragile as demonstrated by a number of high-profile terrorist attacks over the last two months.
The Biden administration has reaffirmed its commitment to support India's permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council and New Delhi's entry to the Nuclear Suppliers' Group.
The resolution was adopted by a vote of 33 in favour, China and Eritrea voting against and 12 abstentions, including India, Armenia, Bolivia, Cameroon, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Namibia, Pakistan, Senegal, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.
As it has done in the past, Beijing put a technical hold on the proposal just as the deadline was about to end.
Pressing for "actual negotiations" on the issue of UN Security Council expansion, India has asked the General Assembly for discussions to be held in an interactive format, as representatives of the world body met in New York to launch parleys on reforms.
'It is typical of China's strategic deception of making virtue out of necessity,' observes Rup Narayan Das.
India stressed that it is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices, that too in a democracy.
"The Chinese side has always been in communication with relevant parties on the listing issue," he said hinting that China is also in touch with India on the issue.
More than a decade after India launched a spirited campaign for a United Nations Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism as well as reform of the UN Security Council, both in the permanent and non-permanent categories, there is renewed hope that both campaigns may succeed, thanks to India's untiring diplomatic efforts at the world body. Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri.
The countries voting in favour included France, Germany, Japan, Nepal, The United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
India has strongly rejected comments by United Nations experts on Manipur, terming them 'unwarranted, presumptive and misleading' and asserting that situation in the Northeast state is peaceful.
'Kofi Annan will be remembered more for his Nobel Prize and related glory rather than Rwanda and Volcker,' notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan with whom he worked in the UN.
India's failure to resolve the Kashmir issue and improve relationship with Pakistan has been an "impediment" to India's rise and become the greatest hurdle in it becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's envoys have claimed.
The 193-member UN General Assembly adopted the draft resolution 'Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine' by Ukraine and its western allies, with 140 nations voting in favour, five against and 38 abstentions. India abstained on the resolution.
Meanwhile, the test drew strong criticism from North Korea's neighbours and the West which warned of a robust response to its "grave provocations".
'We have been one of the most frequent countries to be on the Council. We have contributed so much to the maintenance of international peace and security,' India's Permanent Representative to the UN Asoke Mukerji tells Rediff.com's Suman Guha Mozumder.
'A sense of purpose is lacking in India's diplomacy.' 'This is what happens when foreign policy becomes the stuff for grandstanding before the domestic audience,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
"Time has come for Pakistan to decide in its own interests. We will do what's in Pakistan's interests," Qureshi told Geo TV in an interview.
China on Thursday said it was in "close" contact with India over its efforts to put Masood Azhar on the United Nations list of proscribed terrorists, as it expressed willingness to step up bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation in response to President Pranab Mukherjee's call.
Pakistan approached the United Nations military observer group over the Line of Control situation on Tuesday. This comes a day after the Pakistan government lodged a protest with India on alleged ceasefire violations along the Indo-Pak border.
United States President Barack Obama's confidant Susan Rice, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, has joined the White House as the national security advisor.
We are sure that when talks take place, some way or the other will come out, Singh said.
Iran has threatened to review its economic and political relations with the countries that voted for the referral to UNSC.
The President of the Security Council for December said India has taken the side of peace and favours de-escalation through diplomacy and dialogue.
India's entry into the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member has kicked off a flurry of consultations with the world powers over issues related to the powerful world body, including its reforms, under which New Delhi is seeking permanent membership.
Introducing a new irritant into the bilateral ties, Pakistan has complained to UN Security Council alleging that India was building a wall along the International Border in violation of the world body's resolutions.
The United Nations has dedicated a solidarity tree in remembrance of victims of terrorism with a solemn ceremony that also honoured victims of the 2008 Mumbai attack, on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the world organisation.
Early reform of the United Nations Security Council, terrorism and peacekeeping will be among the main issues that India will pursue during the world body's General Assembly session, Indian ambassador to the UN has said.
As India and Pakistan clashed in the Security Council over relevance of the United Nations observer group at the Line of Control, a spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the force can be terminated only by a decision of the 15-nation body.
India is a great power that determines its national interests and chooses its partners, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, describing as "completely unjustified" the "enormous pressure" on New Delhi due to its energy cooperation with Moscow.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon who said he "counted on India's leadership" in South Asia, at the Sustainable Development Goals summit in New York marking the world body's landmark 70th anniversary session.
India has strongly protested the inclusion of the Naxal issue under the realm of 'armed conflict' in a United Nations report, saying the violence being perpetrated by these groups does not make it a zone of armed conflict, as defined by international law.
India on Wednesday reacted strongly to the rocket launch by North Korea, saying the 'unwarranted action' by that country has adversely impact peace and stability in the Korean peninsula.
"We need to go much further in realising the well established objective of degrading the ability of the Taliban to fight while simultaneously denying safe-havens, finances and armament," Indian Ambassador to UN Nirupam Sen told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Russia has informed the United Nations Security Council that Russian buses are ready at crossing points to go to the eastern Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Sumy to evacuate Indian students and other foreign nationals who are stranded there, amidst the raging conflict in the East European country.
The United States enjoys a 'close and cordial' relationship with India, a senior official in the Joe Biden administration has said here on Monday, even as he voiced his country's 'concerns' to New Delhi about Russia.
