President Obama endorsed India to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council last week, pleasing some while irking others. For India, the endorsement is great news. For neighboring countries like Pakistan and China … they’ve had better days. The Security Council is one of six principle organs of the U.N. The members are responsible for deciding certain resolutions to international conflicts. There are only five permanent members who have the most power — U.S., China, France, U.K., Russia — with 10 other members serving on a rotating basis. Giving India a permanent seat on the Security Council is a big step. By endorsing India, Obama is sending a strong message that “India is not simply emerging. India has emerged,” as he stated to the Indian Parliament according to The New York Times. Obama stressed the importance of India helping to eradicate terrorist growth in Pakistan. Since 1947 when Pakistan was created, the two nations have been in hot dispute over the northern Kashmir territory and continue to struggle for a solution. The Pakistani government, angered by Obama’s endorsement, might now be less inclined to eradicate terrorist groups within their borders, which could end up costing American lives. Sure, endorsing India could give them more leverage over Pakistan, and who better than an immediate neighbor to clean them up, but for now it creates more tension. As the only Eastern nation on the Security Council, China is also a factor. They showed reluctant approval for the endorsement. Deep down they are worried. Our economic relationship with China has recently become tense, and a stronger US-India tie is adding to their preoccupation. China and India are sure to be vying for American economic love in the years to come. Also, should we be worried? Obama said that stronger economic ties with India will be a “win-win” and that it will not come at the expense of American jobs. I find this hard to believe, given that India has been sucking IT jobs from America for the last decade. Think Slumdog Millionaire times 10. Finally, does any of this even matter? The U.N. Security Council and General Assembly have proven ineffective in making decisions and actually solving international conflicts. So who cares about who is a permanent member and who isn’t, right? Wrong. Adding India as a permanent member could be a step toward additional restructuring of not only the Security Council but also the General Assembly, and help make the U.N. more effective. In our globalized world, the U.N. needs to play a more vital role in international affairs. While China, Pakistan and the U.S. might be worried for now, including India as a permanent member to the U.N. Security Council is a positive step toward more U.N. restructuring and overall enhancement of international political organization.