Indian peacekeepers honoured with UN Medal for Exemplary Service

Over 1,000 Indian peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have been honoured with the prestigious UN medals at an award ceremony.

UN Medal for Exemplary Service

Over 1,000 Indian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have been honoured with the prestigious UN medals at an award ceremony where the parade was led for the first time by a woman officer of the Indian Army.

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Overview of the news

At a special award ceremony in Upper Nile, 1,171 peacekeepers from India deployed with the UN mission in South Sudan were honoured with UN medals for their exemplary service. for the first time, a female officer of the Indian Army, Major Jasmine Chattha, led the parade of the large Indian contingent, comprising infantry, engineers and medical officials, at the award ceremony in Upper Nile.

Last week, India deployed the largest platoon of women peacekeepers to the United Nations Interim Security Force, Abyei (UNISFA), heralding New Delhi’s intent of increasing significantly the number of women in peacekeeping contingents.

About UN Peacekeeping

UN peacekeeping began in 1948 when the UN Security Council authorised the deployment of UN military observers in the Middle East. It helps to bring countries from conflict to a difficult path of peace. It deploys soldiers and police from all over the world for peacekeeping.

Indian in UN peacekeeping

India’s Permanent Mission to the UN said the platoon of women peacekeepers being deployed in Abyei as part of the Indian Battalion in UNISFA is India’s largest single unit of women peacekeepers in a UN Mission since the country had deployed the first-ever all-women’s contingent in Liberia in 2007.

India is among the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions and its peacekeepers are lauded for their outstanding work and for going above and beyond their duties while serving in the missions. As of June 2022, 2370 Indian military personnel are deployed with UNMISS, the second highest after Rwanda (2637).

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