International, Defence and Summits · 13 January 2026

Major Swathi Shanthakumar wins UN Secretary-General's Award 2025 in Gender Category

Exam-focused facts from the 13 January 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • Major Swathi Shanthakumar, an Indian Army officer from Bengaluru, received the UN Secretary-General's Award 2025 in the Gender Category for her project 'Equal Partners, Lasting Peace'.
  • She leads India's first all-woman military engagement team deployed with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
  • The award was announced by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

View this story in the full daily briefing

Earlier coverage selected by topic similarity to help connect developments over time.

Colonel Prateek Roy received Geddes Gavel Award

Colonel Prateek Roy of the Indian Army was awarded the Geddes Gavel Award. He received the award on completion of the Defence Strategic and Studies Course at Australian Defence College.