Defence Secretary lauds mountaineering expeditions to Mt. Everest and Mt. Kilimanjaro

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Thursday (July 17, 2025) lauded the teams which went on mountaineering expeditions to Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro.

The expedition to Mount Everest was conducted to commemorate 60 years of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.

The Defence Secretary lauded the indomitable spirit of both the teams, emphasising that these missions were not just about scaling the peaks but also about showcasing India’s mountaineering excellence and leadership in adventure sports activities.

By successfully summiting Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro, the teams have set new benchmarks to inspire young mountaineers across the country and the world at large, he said.

Mr. Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had always emphasised the importance of youth empowerment, self-reliance and adventure as a source of building a strong, resilient and fearless India. He termed the four mountaineering institutes of the Ministry of Defence — NIM, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports (JIM & WS) and the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) — as the shining examples of this vision.