Lt General Mohan Subramanian, who is serving as Commandant of Defence Services Staff College, has been appointed as Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, bringing laurels to the Indian Army, which continues to play a lead role in peacekeeping world over.

On Wednesday, United Nations secretary general António Guterres announced the appointment of Lt. General Subramanian, a decorated officer with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal, for the important and prestigious assignment, which has come to Indian Army Generals fifteen times in the past as well, said army officials.

The UN said in an official statement that Lt. General Subramanian succeeds Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar of India. He has previously served as the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone and as India’s Defence Attaché to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

The general officer has tenated wide range of command, staff, and instructional appointments since he was commissioned in the Corps of Army Air Defence in June 1986, army officials remarked. "He has commanded an air defence regiment in the desert sector, a mountain brigade and an infantry division in the eastern theatre and an area (Military Region) in Central India," said an army official. He went to the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, after his schooling at Sainik School, Amaravatinagar in Tamil Nadu.

The Indian Army is participating in United Nations Peacekeeping efforts in eight out of 14 missions worldwide and currently has over 5,400 military personnel deployed in challenging circumstances under the United Nations flag. The Indian Army has a large presence in United Nations Missions in Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, South Sudan, Golan Heights, Syria, Western Sahara, Abyei, and Cyprus, stated the army officials. India is also deploying an infantry battalion group in UNISFA (Abyei).

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