Have Mt Everest and Mt Kilimanjaro Set New Benchmarks for Youth?

New Delhi, July 17 (NationPress) Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Thursday officially launched mountaineering expeditions to Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro, highlighting that these remarkable feats have established a new standard for youth in leadership within adventure sports.

“By successfully reaching the summits of Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro, the teams have set inspiring benchmarks for emerging mountaineers both in India and globally,” he stated.

The expedition to Mount Everest marked the 60th anniversary of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) located in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, in collaboration with the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) from Darjeeling, West Bengal, and the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports (JIM&WS) from Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.

The adventure to Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak, was organized by HMI and included a team member, Uday Kumar, who has a 91% above-knee amputation.

During his speech, the Defence Secretary praised the unwavering spirit, determination, and bravery of both teams, stating that these missions transcended mere peak summiting; they were about showcasing India’s excellence and leadership in adventure sports.

Rajesh Kumar Singh emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has continually highlighted the significance of youth empowerment, self-sufficiency, and adventure as foundations for cultivating a robust, resilient, and fearless India.

He referred to the four mountaineering institutions under the Ministry of Defence - HMI, NIM, JIM&WS, and the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) - as exemplary representations of this vision.

The Mount Everest expedition was led by Principal NIM Col Anshuman Bhadauria, along with team members Col Hem Chandra Singh (Deputy Leader) and instructors from all three institutes including Rakesh Singh Rana, Sub Bahadur Pahan, Hav Rajendra Mukhiya, Nk Thupstan Tsewang, and Pasang Tenzing Sherpa.

The team journeyed through the Khumbu Valley and summited Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the world, on May 23, 2025. This expedition aimed to provide instructors with firsthand experience of Everest, enabling them to motivate and train future generations of climbers.

The expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro was spearheaded by Principal HMI, Darjeeling Group Capt Jai Kishan. Other members included Captain Shruti, Sub Mahendra Kumar Yadav, Pawel Sharma, and Sulaxchana Tamang.

On August 8, 2024, the expedition team achieved a world record by showcasing the largest national flag atop Mount Kilimanjaro.

Subsequently, they also displayed the national flag underwater at a depth of 35 feet in the Indian Ocean off Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, followed by the first-ever tandem skydive by a Divyangjan team on the African continent. This expedition established records across land, water, and air, demonstrating that no frontier is insurmountable.