Executive Summary
On August 18, 2026, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh flagged off ‘Aparajita - Parang La 2026’, a 250-km, 30-day high-altitude trek organized by the National Cadet Corps (NCC). The expedition, led by three women officers and featuring 28 girl cadets, aims to traverse the Parang La Pass to promote 'Nari Shakti' and leadership. The trek serves as a milestone for the participants, emphasizing physical endurance, mental resilience, and national integration.
Key Points / Main Content
Expedition Scope and Geography
The trek covers approximately 250 km over 30 days, traversing the Parang La Pass at an altitude of 5,578 metres (18,300 feet).
The route connects the Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh with the Changthang region of Ladakh.
Terrain includes high-altitude deserts, glaciers, snowfields, and river valleys, with stops at locations such as Kibber, Dumla, Thaltak, and Korzok.
Participant Composition and Selection
The team consists of 28 girl cadets representing pan-India NCC Directorates, with an average age of 19.
The expedition is led by three women officers representing the three Services (Army, Navy, and Air Force).
Selection was merit-based, following a two-phase process that included a preparatory and acclimatization trek in the Bhaba-Pin Valley.
Operational Objectives and Values
The project is designed to develop leadership qualities, mental resilience, discipline, and self-confidence among youth.
The expedition embodies the spirit of ‘Nari Shakti’ (women power) and ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ by uniting cadets from diverse backgrounds.
The mission emphasizes a “zero-waste” approach to protect the Himalayan ecology.
Operational Guidelines
Team members are instructed to prioritize safety and strictly follow the guidance of instructors.
Participants are exhorted to engage respectfully with local communities to understand their culture and traditions.
The team is accompanied by medical staff, instructors, and support personnel to manage high-altitude challenges.
Impact Analysis
NCC Girl CadetsImpact
Cadets gain life lessons in resilience and self-discovery while building physical and mental endurance in one of the country's most challenging terrains.
Action Required
Must complete the 250-km trek while adhering to safety protocols, instructor guidance, and the zero-waste environmental policy.
Women Officers of the three ServicesImpact
Empowered to lead a flagship high-altitude mission, demonstrating the growing capabilities of women in the armed forces.
Action Required
Provide leadership and oversight for the 28 cadets throughout the 30-day journey across remote Himalayan regions.
Local Himalayan CommunitiesImpact
Subject to cultural exchange and interaction with cadets from across India.
Action Required
Engage with the expedition team to share local traditions and culture as part of the cadets' learning experience.
Himalayan EcologyImpact
Potentially affected by human presence in remote regions; protected by the expedition's environmental mandates.
Action Required
All expedition members must strictly implement a zero-waste approach to ensure no ecological damage occurs during the trek.
Key Entities Referenced
All India Girls High Altitude Long Trek ‘Aparajita - Parang La 2026’: A flagship 250-km high-altitude adventure expedition for girl cadets designed to promote leadership, resilience, and 'Nari Shakti'.
National Cadet Corps (NCC): The primary youth organization under the Ministry of Defence responsible for conceptualizing and conducting the trekking expedition.
Shri Rajnath Singh: The Raksha Mantri (Minister of Defence) who flagged off the expedition and emphasized its role in demonstrating women's capabilities and national integration.
Parang La Pass (Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh): The central trekking route connecting the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh with the Changthang region of Ladakh, representing the operational scope of the mission.
Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat: A government initiative aimed at enhancing national integration, the spirit of which is exemplified by the diverse participation of cadets in this trek.
Ministry of Defence
Raksha Mantri flags-off NCC’s All India Girls High
Altitude Long Trek ‘Aparajita - Parang La 2026’
Led by women officers of the three Services, 28 Girl Cadets
to undertake a 250-km, 30-day trek traversing one of India's
most challenging high-altitude routes
The expedition is a powerful testimony to the courage,
determination & growing capabilities of the nation’s ‘Nari
Shakti’: Shri Rajnath Singh
प्रव तथ: 18 AUG 2026 12:55PM by PIB Delhi
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh flagged-off the All India Girls High Altitude Long Trek ‘Aparajita -
Parang La 2026’, a flagship adventure activity of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), during an event in
New Delhi on August 18, 2026. The trek will traverse the Parang La Pass (5,578 metres, 18,300 feet),
connecting the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh with the Changthang region of Ladakh and is regarded as
one of the country’s most challenging high-altitude trekking routes.
The team will be led by three women officers representing the three services. 28 Girl Cadets are
participating in the expedition, with an average age of 19 years, the youngest participant being just 16 and
a half years old. In his address, Raksha Mantri termed the participation of young girls in such achallenging high-altitude expedition as a powerful testament to the courage, determination and growing
capabilities of the women of the country.
The expedition team, accompanied by officers, medical staff, instructors and support personnel, will
undertake the approximately 250-km trek over 30 days through some of the most remote and challenging
terrain in the Himalayas. The route of the expedition includes Kibber, Dumla, Thaltak, Bongrojen, Parang
La Pass, Dak Karzong, Norbu Sumdo, Kiangdom and Korzok, traversing high-altitude deserts, glaciers,
snowfields and river valleys.
Extending his best wishes to the team for a safe and successful trek, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that such
expeditions play an important role in developing leadership qualities, mental resilience, discipline and
self-confidence among the youth. He commended the selected cadets for their physical and mental
preparation, emphasising that the trek would be a life lesson for them in resilience, confidence and self-
discovery. “The cadets would return from Parang La with not only memorable experiences but also a
deeper understanding of their own inner strength,” he hoped.
Raksha Mantri exhorted the team members to keep ‘safety’, ‘environment’ and ‘interaction with local
communities’ as their priorities throughout the expedition. “Strictly follow the guidance of instructors,
avoid unnecessary risks, and adopt a zero-waste approach to protect the Himalayan ecology. Engagerespectfully with local communities, understand their culture & traditions, and learn from their
experiences. The expedition would become a defining milestone in your lives and inspire you to remain
‘Aparajita’ at every stage of life,” he told the cadets.
Highlighting the growing achievements of NCC cadets in adventure activities across land, water and air,
Shri Rajnath Singh lauded the girl cadets for demonstrating the spirit of ‘Nari Shakti’ by leading from the
front. On the participation of cadets from pan-India NCC Directorates, he asserted that their diverse
languages, cultures and backgrounds, united by a common mission, exemplify the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat,
Shreshtha Bharat’.
Director General, NCC Lieutenant General Virendra Vats, and other senior officials of NCC & Ministry of
Defence were present on the occasion. The expedition is being conducted in two phases. A preparatory and
acclimatisation trek was undertaken in the Bhaba-Pin Valley sector, following which the final team of
NCC Girl Cadets was selected on merit. The expedition has been conceptualised to promote Nari Shakti,
leadership, self-confidence, teamwork, endurance and national integration among NCC Girl Cadets.
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