Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off joint expeditions by the Indian and Nepal Armies to Mount Everest and Mount Kanchenjunga in New Delhi. Major General Dhruba Prakash Shah, DGMT, Nepali Army, also participated in the flag-off ceremony yesterday. 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 Kanchenjunga, 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.

The Defence Minister Mantri interacted with the mountaineers and emphasized the significance of this expedition in not only promoting our national pride but also reinforcing the deep-rooted military-to-military connection between both Indian and Nepal armies and nations.