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Two expeditions were flagged-off in a single day attempting to reach sumits of Mt Everest (8,848m) and Mt Kangchenjunga (8,586m).

On Thursday the 3rd of April 2025 the defence minister Rajnath Singh met team members of both the expeditions in his South Block office.

The Indian Army’s Mount Everest expedition, comprising 34 climbers, will follow the traditional South Col Route, and will be led by Lieutenant Colonel Manoj Joshi.

The joint Indo-Nepal expedition, which aims to scale Mount Kangchenjunga, will feature 12 mountaineers from the Indian Army and six from the Nepali Army. It will be led by Colonel Sarfaraz Singh of the Indian Army.

Additionally, a joint NCC expedition to Mount Everest will be led by Colonel Amit Bisht.

The team consists of five girl cadets, five boy cadets, four officers and 11 permanent instructors staff.

Scheduled to commence this month, the teams aim to reach their respective summits by May 2025.

Rajnath interacted with the mountaineers, and commended their courage, dedication & determination. He exuded confidence that these expeditions will inspire the youth, and underscore India’s leadership in high-altitude mountaineering.

The expeditions are designed to showcase the exceptional skills, resilience, and indomitable spirit of the Armed Forces, while setting new benchmarks in the field of high-altitude mountaineering. These are expected to inspire future generations to pursue their dreams with courage, determination, and the spirit of excellence.