On Jawaharlal Nehru's 61st death anniversary, Utkarsh Mishra recalls how India's first prime minister cultivated a unique role for the newly independent country on the world stage.
'Indian Army officers always lead their men into battle or combat. Pakistani officers are seldom seen at the front.'
'There is no question that Putin's preference will be to avoid unpleasantness with Trump, leave alone a collision course,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Dharma Guardian 2025 will primarily focus on urban warfare tactics and counter-terrorism operations and underscores the growing strategic partnership between India and Japan.
After taking control of the buffer zone along the Israeli-Syrian border, the Israel Defence Forces released photos from the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, a strategic peak in the Golan Heights on Monday morning.
'The Indian battalion had played an important role in keeping the community safe as well as encouraging local peace efforts'
India has criticised the UN over lack of any 'specific concrete action' by member states to penalise those who attack.
India, the largest contributor to the United Nation peacekeepers, has stressed on the need to ensure missions are made relevant to current realities and peacekeepers are not tasked with achieving 'Christmas tree-like' mandates.
The 125-strong Indian Formed Police Unit along with 12 Indian personnel of the UN Police serving in the UN Mission in Liberia were awarded medals during a parade ceremony held recently in Congo Town in Montserrado County.
The Centre for Democracy, Pluralism and Human Rights (CDPHR) on Friday presented a report on the state of minorities in Bangladesh following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that India will contribute an additional battalion of 850 troops for United Nations peacekeeping operations, but also raised concern that troop contributing countries have no role in decision-making.
An Indian peacekeeper has been accused of sexual misconduct in the UN peacekeeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Anayansi Lopez of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has said.
Eleven UN peacekeepers were killed on Wednesday as the strongest earthquake in more than 200 years jolted Haiti as officials said the 141-strong Indian contingent in the Caribbean nation is safe.
Indian peacekeepers suffered the second highest number of casualties in 2013 as working for the United Nations became more hazardous, with increased deliberate attacks on its personnel.
A peace keeping role for India is a distinct possibility. Indian military has both the numbers and experience to carry out this job, observes Colonel Anil A Athale (Retd).
An Indian police inspector has been named recipient of a prestigious international female peacekeeper award by the United Nation's police division for her "exceptional achievements" in her duty with the UN mission in Afghanistan, including her efforts towards helping victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
'If you look at peacekeeping right now, it is fraught with accusations of sexual abuse or peacekeepers involved in deals that are outside their purview, human trafficking.' 'When a contingent of women walk through a camp, the women in the camp and the children respond to them, talk to them. Women are more open to talking about sexual violence and domestic violence to other women.'
Army officials in New Delhi said two of the 32 injured soldiers require surgery but are not critical.
Naib Subedar Ram Kirpal Singh, part of the nine-guard peace-keeping force deployed in Congo, was killed when their camp came under heavy rocket attack on Monday morning.
An Indian soldier on a United Nations peacekeeping mission in strife-torn Congo was killed during a firefight between the Congolese Army and armed assailants.
Indian Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag will attend an inaugural United Nations conference on peacekeeping operations
The bodies of the five Indian soldiers, who were killed in a United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, arrived in India on Thursday morning. The Indian Army personnel, including a Lieutenant Colonel, were killed on Tuesday and four others were injured when their 32-member convoy was ambushed by armed men in Gurmuck in the volatile state of Jonglei in South Sudan.
Eight Indian soldiers, who lost their lives while serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations last year, are among 106 military, police and civilian personnel to be posthumously awarded a prestigious UN medal this week for their courage and sacrifice in the line of duty.
A rescue team of sixth battalion of the Sikh Light Infantry, led by Commanding Officer Col S A Sharma, rushed along with all available officers and troops of the unit to the location to take control of the situation. The peacekeepers rescued six survivors from the crashed aircraft and evacuated them to the military hospital.
Early reform of the United Nations Security Council, terrorism and peacekeeping will be among the main issues that India will pursue during the world body's General Assembly session, Indian ambassador to the UN has said.
Recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have ignited political debate in West Bengal, with the ruling TMC and opposition BJP utilizing the issue to advance their respective agendas. While the TMC emphasizes communal harmony and calls for international intervention, the BJP criticizes the TMC's inaction and links the situation to its push for the Citizenship Amendment Act. The issue has also brought other opposition parties into the fray, with all sides highlighting the interconnectedness of the region's socio-political fabric.
The killing of the militiamen was a "proportionate" reaction to the slaying of 9 Bangladeshi peacekeepers last week, the UN said.
Seven United Nations peacekeepers from the west African country of Niger were killed in an ambush while they were on a patrol in a southwest region of Ivory Coast, an attack which drew strong condemnation from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council.
Indian peacekeepers have rescued seven women from Mai Mai rebels in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is often referred to as the rape capital of the world.
A Lt Colonel was among the five army personnel killed on Tuesday when their 32-member convoy came under attack in Gurmuck in the volatile state of Jonglei, South Sudan.
Armed to the teeth with mortar guns, assault rifles, riot-control weapons and bullet-proof vehicles, the personnel drawn from various battalions of the force are thrilled at the opportunity to don the UN's blue helmet.
Currently only one per cent of military personnel and only four per cent of the police are women.
Five Indian peacekeepers have been honoured posthumously by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.
The Kuki-Zo Council called for a 13-hour shutdown in Manipur's hill areas on Tuesday, demanding an investigation into the death of 11 people in a clash with security forces in Jiribam. The shutdown, which began at 5 am, saw schools, markets, and public transport remain closed. Various Kuki-Zo organizations, including the Kuki Students' Organisation, the Zomi Students' Federation, and the Hmar Students' Association, demanded a probe into the incident, accusing the Central Reserve Police Force of "treacherous murder." The Hmar Village Volunteers, who were identified by the Kuki-Zo groups as the victims, condemned the incident and called for intervention from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Indians, however, are facing an acute shortage of water and essential supplies due to the hostilities.
Whenever tenures of army chiefs were extended in the recent past, prime ministers were subsequently eased out of office by the same army chief, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
By proposing the addition of six permanent members this year, it may appear that it was a major concession, but in actual fact, it will make no difference to the privilege of the permanent five as the new six will have no veto, ever! points out Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, a former United Nations under-secretary general, made an unscheduled visit to quake-hit Haiti over the weekend, meeting with the survivors of the calamity, the Indian peacekeepers as well as the Caribbean nation's President, Rene Garcia Preval at his makeshift home.
3 Pakistani peacekeepers in Haiti have been charged with rape, the UN said.
The UN Mission in Liberia took over peacekeeping duties from the Economic Community of West Africa States in October 2003 to bring about a thaw among warring ethnic groups.
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