UN to posthumously honour 2 Indian peacekeepers today; chief Guterres to also honour Major Abhilasha Barak

The United Nations posthumously conferred the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal on two Indian soldiers — Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh (MONUSCO, Democratic Republic of...

What Happened

The United Nations posthumously conferred the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal on two Indian soldiers — Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh (MONUSCO, Democratic Republic of Congo) and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan (UNMISS, South Sudan) — who died in the line of duty during UN peacekeeping operations.
The ceremony was held on International Day of UN Peacekeepers (29 May) at UN Headquarters in New York, with the UN Secretary-General presiding.
Major Abhilasha Barak, serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), was conferred the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for 2025 for her work leading female engagement with women and girls in conflict-affected communities.
Major Barak, India's first woman combat helicopter pilot in the Indian Army, commands the Female Engagement Team (FET) with the Indian Battalion in UNIFIL.
She becomes the third Indian recipient of this award, following Major Suman Gawani (2019) and Major Radhika Sen (2023).

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Dag Hammarskjöld Medal

The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is the highest posthumous honour awarded by the United Nations to military, police, and civilian personnel of UN peacekeeping operations who lose their lives in service. It is named after Dag Hammarskjöld, the second UN Secretary-General, who died in a plane crash near Ndola (present-day Zambia) on 18 September 1961 while on a peacekeeping mission.

Established by UN Security Council Resolution 1121 on 22 July 1997.
First medals awarded in October 1998.
Awarded posthumously to all personnel of military, police, or civilian components of UN peacekeeping operations who have lost their lives during service.
The physical medal is presented to the next of kin of the recipient.
Regulation governing the award formalised by the UN Secretary-General on 1 December 2000.

Connection to this news: Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan join a distinguished list of Indian peacekeepers recognised with this medal for the ultimate sacrifice.

International Day of UN Peacekeepers

The International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed annually on 29 May. The UN General Assembly established this day in 2002 (Resolution 57/129). The date was selected because 29 May 1948 marked the establishment of the first UN peacekeeping operation — the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in the Middle East.

UN General Assembly established the observance in 2002.
First UN peacekeeping operation: UNTSO, established 29 May 1948.
The day honours all military, police, and civilian peacekeepers past and present.
Medal ceremonies and tributes are held at UN Headquarters each year.

Connection to this news: The posthumous honours and the Military Gender Advocate Award were presented at the International Day ceremony, the principal annual occasion for recognising peacekeeper contributions and sacrifices.

India's Contribution to UN Peacekeeping

India is one of the largest and most consistent contributors of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations, with a history spanning more than seven decades and involving approximately 2,87,000 troops deployed across missions worldwide.

India has contributed to over 50 UN peacekeeping missions since 1950.
As of 2023-24, approximately 6,000+ Indian personnel are deployed across nine missions: UNDOF, UNIFIL, UNTSO, UNFICYP, MONUSCO, UNMISS, UNIFSA, MINUSCA, and MINURSO.
179 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice in UN operations.
India has produced multiple Military Gender Advocate of the Year awardees: Major Suman Gawani (2019), Major Radhika Sen (2023), and Major Abhilasha Barak (2025).

Connection to this news: The triple recognition — two Dag Hammarskjöld Medals and one Military Gender Advocate Award — in a single year underscores India's sustained, high-quality contribution to global peacekeeping.

Women in the Indian Armed Forces and UN Peacekeeping

The progressive induction of women into operational and combat roles in the Indian Armed Forces has expanded their representation in international peacekeeping. Major Abhilasha Barak's distinction as India's first woman combat helicopter pilot and her deployment in UNIFIL exemplify this trajectory.

Women were first inducted into the Indian Army's non-medical corps in the early 1990s under Short Service Commission.
In 2020, the Supreme Court directed the grant of Permanent Commission to women officers in the Army across all non-combat branches.
Major Abhilasha Barak became India's first woman combat helicopter pilot in the Army Aviation Corps.
The Female Engagement Team (FET) concept in UN missions focuses on community outreach where male soldiers face cultural access barriers.

Connection to this news: Major Barak's Military Gender Advocate of the Year recognition is both a tribute to individual excellence and a marker of the institutional progress in deploying women in operational peacekeeping roles.

Key Facts & Data

Dag Hammarskjöld Medal established: UN Security Council Resolution 1121, 22 July 1997.
Dag Hammarskjöld died: 18 September 1961, near Ndola, Zambia.
International Day of UN Peacekeepers: 29 May (established by UNGA Resolution 57/129, 2002).
First UN peacekeeping mission: UNTSO, 29 May 1948.
Indian troops killed in UN service: 179 (historical total).
Indian personnel currently deployed in UN missions: approximately 6,000+.
Total Indian troop contributions to UN peacekeeping (historical): approximately 2,87,000.
Military Gender Advocate of the Year — Indian recipients: Major Suman Gawani (2019), Major Radhika Sen (2023), Major Abhilasha Barak (2025).
MONUSCO: UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
UNMISS: UN Mission in South Sudan.
UNIFIL: UN Interim Force in Lebanon.