Defence
In 2007, India became the first country to deploy an all-women contingent to a UN Peacekeeping Mission in:
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Answer: Option A — Liberia
Detailed Solution
In January 2007, India became the first country to send an all-women Formed Police Unit (FPU) to a United Nations peacekeeping mission. The unit of about 105-125 women police personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was deployed to the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), in West Africa.
About the Indian all-women contingent:
- It was led initially by Commandant Seema Dhundia and later by Annie Abraham and other officers.
- Its tasks included guarding government buildings and the President's office, controlling crowds, patrolling the capital Monrovia at night, and training the Liberian police.
- The unit served in Liberia until 2016, through several rotations.
It became a role model for Liberian women. The number of women joining the Liberia National Police rose significantly after the Indian women's unit arrived.
Liberia at that time had just come out of a long civil war (1989-2003). In 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became Liberia's President, the first elected woman head of state in Africa. She later won the Nobel Peace Prize (2011).
India and UN peacekeeping:
- India is one of the largest contributors of troops to UN peacekeeping missions, having sent more than 2,75,000 personnel to about 50 missions since 1950.
- India's first major contribution was the Custodian Force in Korea (1953).
- Many Indian peacekeepers have lost their lives while serving; India has one of the highest numbers of peacekeepers killed in action.
- In 2023, India deployed the largest single unit of women peacekeepers since Liberia, a platoon to the UN mission in Abyei (between Sudan and South Sudan).
- Major Suman Gawani (2019) received the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year award, the first Indian peacekeeper to receive it.
- International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed on 29 May.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Congo hosted one of India's largest peacekeeping deployments in the 1960s and today.
- ✗South Sudan has a large Indian peacekeeping presence.
- ✗Lebanon has Indian peacekeepers in UNIFIL.
Quick tip
Remember: First all-women UN peacekeeping unit = India's CRPF Formed Police Unit in Liberia (UNMIL), 2007; International Day of UN Peacekeepers = 29 May.
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Firsts in India & World — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.