Indian soldiers posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjold Medal

Tags: Defence

Indian head constables Shishupal Singh and Sanwala Ram Vishnoi were posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjold Medal.

An Overview of the News

• The Dag Hammarskjold Medal is the highest award given to United Nations peacekeepers.
• The medals were received by Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations on behalf of the departed Head Constables.
• The Dag Hammarskjold Medal is awarded posthumously to peacekeepers who have lost their lives during peacekeeping operations.
• The award ceremony took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to mark the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
• The medal is named after Dag Hammarskjold, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Important Points:

• Border Security Force (BSF) head constables Shishupal Singh and Sanwala Ram Vishnoi lost their lives while serving under the UN flag in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of the MONUSCO mission.
• Shabar Tahir Ali, an Indian national serving with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), was also awarded the Dag Hammarskjold Medal posthumously.
• The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is observed annually on 29 May to recognize the dedication, professionalism and bravery of peacekeepers around the world.
• India holds the distinction of being the first country to send an all-women contingent to the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia in 2007.