NCC expedition team gets hero's welcome in Delhi after Mt Everest conquest

The expedition team was warmly received at the DG-NCC Camp in Delhi Cantonment after successfully summiting the world's highest peak, said Defence Ministry

An expedition team of the National Cadet Corps whose members summited Mt Everest recently and successfully unfurled the tricolour there, on Thursday received a hero's reception at the DG-NCC Camp in Delhi.

Ten NCC cadets -- five male cadets, five female cadets -- four officers, two junior commissioned officers, a female cadet instructor and 10 non-commissioned officers achieved the feat of scaling the world's highest peak in the early hours of May 18.

The ten cadets, with an average age of 19 years, "displayed exemplary courage, resilience and teamwork, achieving a 100 per cent summit success rate despite harsh weather and difficult terrain," officials said.

 

The youngest team member was 16 years old, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The expedition team was warmly received at the DG-NCC Camp in Delhi Cantonment after successfully summiting the world's highest peak, it said.

"Historic moment... Mt Everest Expedition Team of NCC summited Mt Everest today at 0445 hours. Summit photos awaited," the NCC had posted on X hours after the feat was achieved.

The expedition was flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh from New Delhi on April 3. The achievement marks the third successful NCC expedition to Mt. Everest, following earlier triumphs in 2013 and 2016, the ministry said.

The ten cadets from the team are -- Cadet Monika from Rajasthan; Cadet Pratima Rai from West Bengal; Cadet Rifiness Warjri from Meghalaya; Cadet Kritika Sharma from Himachal Pradesh; Cadet Abida Afreen from Ladakh; Cadet Mohit Knathia from Jammu & Kashmir; Cadet Padma Namgail from Chandigarh; Cadet Virendra Singh Samant from Uttarakhand; Cadet Sachin Kumar from Uttarakhand and Cadet Mukul Bangwal from Uttarakhand.

"All ten cadets were novice climbers who underwent rigorous selection and training, including a preparatory ascent of Mt. Abi Gamin and a winter training camp at the Army Mountaineering Institute, Siachen Base Camp. The youngest team member was only 16 years old. Their exceptional discipline and fitness earned praise from Sherpa guides and fellow international climbers," it said.