NEW DELHI, Apr 3: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday flagged off an Indian Army-led expedition to Mt. Everest, comprising 34 climbers.
Additionally, a joint Indo-Nepal expedition team, which aims to scale Mt. Kangchenjunga that will feature 12 mountaineers from the Indian Army and six from the Nepali Army, was also flagged off by the minister.
Also, a joint NCC (National Cadet Corps) Mt. Everest expedition team consisting of five girl cadets, five boy cadets, four officers and 11 permanent instructors staff, is scheduled to commence this month, aiming to reach their respective summits by May 2025. It will be led by Colonel Amit Bisht, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Singh flagged-off the expeditions to Mt. Everest (8,848 m) and Mt. Kangchenjunga (8,586m) from the South Block lawns here.
The Indian Army’s Mt. Everest expedition team, comprising 34 climbers, will follow the traditional South Col Route and will be led by Lieutenant Colonel Manoj Joshi, it said.
The joint Indo-Nepal expedition, which aims to scale Mt. Kangchenjunga — world’s third highest mountain peak lying at the India-Nepal border, will be led by Colonel Sarfaraz Singh of the Indian Army.
Mt. Everest at over 8,848 m is the tallest peak in the world.
Ever since New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepal’s Sherpa Tenzing Norgay summited Mt. Everest in 1953, thousands of climbers from across the globe, including India and Nepal, have been attracted to it.
Singh interacted with the mountaineers and commended their courage, dedication and 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, the ministry said.
The event, organised by the Indian Army, was attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Nepal’s Ambassador to India Shankar P Sharma, a delegation from Nepal and other senior civil and military officials, it said.
Meanwhile, Singh also participated in the 261st raising day celebrations of Army Medical Corps (AMC) at Army Hospital (Research & Referral) at Delhi Cantonment on Thursday.
“The medical sector is going through a phase of technological transformation across the globe, and the AMC must continue adopting latest advancements to provide quality health services to our soldiers,” he said in his address at the event.
The minister acknowledged the AMC’s efforts in adopting artificial intelligence and carrying out research in cutting-edge tech, and stressed on the need to stay abreast with evolving practices to achieve new breakthroughs in the field.
Singh pitched for encouraging simulator-based training, wherein expertise in medical procedure is achieved through machine-based learning.
He batted for additional research and training centres for the personnel to achieve this proficiency, the ministry said in another statement.
The minister highlighted the need to develop dual-use technologies, which can prove to be beneficial to both defence and civilian sectors.
Civil-military convergence in the field of defence technology is crucial for the overall development, he said, while commending the AMC for working with academia such as ICMR, IITs and AIIMS and medical organisations of other countries.
He also urged the AMC to explore the possibility of training medical professionals of other developing and under-developed countries to increase India’s stature in the field of military diplomacy.
Singh made special mention of Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, the incumbent and first female Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), describing her as a shining example of the growing ‘Nari Shakti’ in the military.
“Under her leadership, not only are our doctors carrying out exceptional work, the participation of women has also increased,” he said. (PTI)
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