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Defence Notes |
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Indian appointed Military Advisor for UN peacekeeping
Maj. Gen. R.K. Mehta, currently with the Indian Army’s intelligence wing, has been appointed Military Advisor in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
Mehta, now Additional Director General (Military Intelligence), is expected to take over the assignment in February. He will replace Maj. Gen. Patrick Cammaert of the Netherlands.
Mehta, from the Parachute Regiment, served as a commander of the Indian group in the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Sierra Leone.
On his return to India, he led a division in the Jammu and Kashmir-based Northern Command and was involved in counter-insurgency operations. He has held various prestigious command and staff appointments in the Army.
“The appointment of Gen. Mehta to this key post is a recognition of India’s substantial and long-running contribution to UN peacekeeping and its growing profile in this area,” said the statement.
India has continued its tradition of being one of the world’s leading contributors to UN peacekeeping by committing over 3,000 troops to the mission in Congo and over 2,500 troops to the mission in Sudan.
Over 74,000 Indian troops have participated in 41 of the 59 peacekeeping missions undertaken by the UN since its inception. India is currently contributing troops to eight of the 16 ongoing peacekeeping operations.
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