New Delhi: The United Nations will posthumously honour two Indian peacekeepers on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers this Friday for making the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the line of duty. Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh, who served with the UN Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan, deployed with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), will be posthumously awarded the prestigious Dag Hammarskjold Medal by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Major Abhilasha Barak to Receive Gender Advocate Award
In addition, Guterres will present the 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year award to Major Abhilasha Barak of India for her exceptional contributions to women empowerment and gender sensitization during her deployment with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Major Barak, widely recognized as the first woman combat helicopter pilot of the Indian Army, currently serves in Lebanon as the commander of the Female Engagement Team (FET) under UNIFIL.
Major Barak becomes the third Indian recipient of this honour, following Major Suman Gawani and Major Radhika Sen, who were recognized for their commendable work in UN peacekeeping missions.
India's Contribution to UN Peacekeeping
Nearly 180 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice while serving under the UN flag, the highest number from any troop-contributing country. India is the second largest contributor to UN peacekeeping forces, with more than 4,200 military and police personnel, including 155 women, currently serving in UN peace operations across missions in Abyei, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Somalia, South Sudan, and Western Sahara. Presently, over 50,000 civilian, military, and police peacekeepers serve under the UN flag in peacekeeping missions in some of the world's most complex environments.
