Two Indian soldiers to posthumously receive UN Dag Hammarskjold Medal
Two Indian soldiers, Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan, are being posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjold Medal by the United Nations.
Both lost their lives while serving in peacekeeping missions: Singh in Congo and Pradhan in South Sudan.
They will be honored at a ceremony led by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on June 5, 2026, in New York.
India fields over 4,200 peacekeepers worldwide
India is a major player in U.N. peacekeeping, with over 4,200 personnel (including 155 women) serving worldwide.
Sadly, India also has the highest number of fatalities among troop contributors.
This year's ceremony will also celebrate Major Abhilasha Barak (India's first woman combat helicopter pilot) for her work promoting gender inclusion with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).