**Summary:**
On May 18, 2025, a ten-member mountaineering team from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) successfully summited Mount Everest (8,848.86 m). The team, comprised of an equal number of male and female novice cadets with an average age of 19, returned safely to Everest Base Camp on May 19, 2025. This marks the NCC's third successful Everest expedition, following previous summits in 2013 and 2016. The cadets underwent rigorous training, including a pre-Everest expedition to Mt. Abi Gamin and winter training at the Army Mountaineering Institute, Siachen Base Camp. The expedition was flagged off by the Raksha Mantri on April 3, 2025. The team unfurled the National Flag and NCC Flag atop Mount Everest.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Defence: The government ministry responsible for defence.
NCC: The National Cadet Corps, a youth organization.
National Cadet Corps: A youth organisation in India.
Mount Everest: The world's highest peak, located in the Himalayas.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi.
Everest Base Camp: The base camp for climbing Mount Everest.
May 19, 2025: Date of return to base camp.
May 18, 2025: Date of successful summit.
2013: Year of a previous successful summit.
2016: Year of a previous successful summit.
National Flag: The flag of the nation, in this context likely India.
NCC Flag: The flag representing the National Cadet Corps.
Mt Abi Gamin: A mountain used for pre-Everest expedition training.
Army Mountaineering Institute, Siachen Base Camp: A military mountaineering training institute at Siachen Base Camp.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh: The Defence Minister who flagged off the expedition.
April 03, 2025: Date when the expedition team was flagged off.
Cadet Monika: NCC Cadet from Rajasthan.
Rajasthan: State in India, home state of Cadet Monika.
Cadet Pratima Rai: NCC Cadet from West Bengal.
West Bengal: State in India, home state of Cadet Pratima Rai.
Cadet Rifiness Warjri: NCC Cadet from Meghalaya.
Meghalaya: State in India, home state of Cadet Rifiness Warjri.
Cadet Kritika Sharma: NCC Cadet from Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh: State in India, home state of Cadet Kritika Sharma.
Cadet Abida Afreen: NCC Cadet from Ladakh.
Ladakh: Union Territory in India, home state of Cadet Abida Afreen.
Cadet Mohit Knathia: NCC Cadet from Jammu Kashmir.
Jammu Kashmir: Union Territory in India, home state of Cadet Mohit Knathia.
Cadet Padma Namgail: NCC Cadet from Chandigarh.
Chandigarh: Union Territory in India, home state of Cadet Padma Namgail.
Cadet Virendra Singh Samant: NCC Cadet from Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand: State in India, home state of Cadet Virendra Singh Samant.
Cadet Sachin Kumar: NCC Cadet from Uttarakhand.
Cadet Mukul Bangwal: NCC Cadet from Uttarakhand.
Ministry of Defence
NCC Cadets Successfully Summit Mount Everest;
Return Safely After the Third Successful Expedition
Posted On: 19 MAY 2025 8:06PM by PIB Delhi
The National Cadet Corps (NCC) mountaineering team safely returned to the Everest Base Camp today, May
19, 2025, after successfully scaling the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest (8,848.86 m), on May 18, 2025.
This monumental achievement marks the third successful summit of Mount Everest by the NCC expedition
team, following the earlier triumphs in 2013 and 2016.
A key highlight of this year’s expedition was the stellar performance of the ten-member cadet team, consisting
of novice climbers who were rigorously trained and meticulously selected through a stringent national
selection process. The team was composed of an equal number of girl and boy cadets, with an average age of
19 years. The youngest cadet was only 16 years old. The cadets who successfully summited Mount Everest
are as follows:
(a) Cadet Monika – Rajasthan
(b) Cadet Pratima Rai – West Bengal
(c) Cadet Rifiness Warjri – Meghalaya
(d) Cadet Kritika Sharma – Himachal Pradesh
(e) Cadet Abida Afreen – Ladakh
(f) Cadet Mohit Knathia – Jammu & Kashmir
(g) Cadet Padma Namgail – Chandigarh
(h) Cadet Virendra Singh Samant – Uttarakhand
(j) Cadet Sachin Kumar – Uttarakhand
(k) Cadet Mukul Bangwal – Uttarakhand
Their exceptional physical readiness and high morale earned commendations from both Sherpa guides and
fellow international climbers. Despite encountering challenging weather conditions and navigating
treacherous terrain, the team remained steadfast in its resolve and successfully unfurled the National Flag and
the NCC Flag atop Mount Everest, symbolising national pride and youthful valour.
The expedition was the culmination of a comprehensive and systematic training programme. As part of their
preparation, the cadets undertook a pre-Everest expedition to Mt Abi Gamin, followed by a winter training
camp at the Army Mountaineering Institute, Siachen Base Camp. Performance during these training phases
formed the basis for the final selection of the Everest team.
The expedition team was formally flagged off by the Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, on April 03, 2025.
Throughout the expedition, the team adhered strictly to established safety protocols and operational
guidelines, ensuring the well-being of all members at every stage. The successful execution of this mission is
a testament to the effectiveness of NCC’s structured training regimen and reflects the unwavering spirit,
discipline, and potential of the cadets.
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SR/SS(Release ID: 2129728)