JULY 17: Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh today formally flagged in two significant mountaineering expeditions—one to Mount Everest and the other to Mount Kilimanjaro—during a ceremony held at South Block, New Delhi.
The Mount Everest expedition, conducted in May 2025, commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. It was a collaborative effort involving the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling, and Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports (JIM&WS), Pahalgam, showcasing the synergy between India’s premier mountaineering institutions.
Led by Col Anshuman Bhadauria, Principal of NIM, the Everest team included seasoned instructors from the three institutes. They successfully summited the world’s highest peak on May 23, 2025, via the iconic Khumbu Valley route. The mission aimed to provide direct Everest experience to the trainers, thereby enriching the future of mountaineering education and training in India.
In parallel, a remarkable expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, was spearheaded by Gp Capt Jai Kishan, Principal of HMI, Darjeeling. The team featured Shri Uday Kumar, a Divyangjan mountaineer with a 91% above-knee amputation, who played a historic role in the mission.
On August 8, 2024, the team set a world record by unfurling India’s largest national flag atop Kilimanjaro. Their achievements extended beyond the summit—they also displayed the national flag underwater at 35 feet depth in the Indian Ocean near Dar es Salaam and performed the first-ever tandem skydive by a Divyangjan team on the African continent, covering land, water, and air.
The Defence Secretary praised the courage, discipline, and determination of both teams, stating that these accomplishments highlight India’s leadership in adventure sports and reflect the government’s commitment to youth empowerment, inclusivity, and resilience. He noted that the efforts align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a self-reliant, adventurous, and spirited India.
He also commended the contributions of the four premier mountaineering institutes under the Ministry of Defence—HMI, NIM, JIM&WS, and NIMAS—in promoting national pride and pushing the boundaries of human endurance.
