New Delhi, July 17 (Reporter) Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh today flagged in the mountaineering expeditions to Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro and lauded the spirit, determination and courage of both the teams. In his address, the defence secretary emphasised that these missions were not just about scaling the peaks, but also about showcasing India’s mountaineering excellence and leadership in adventure sports activities, a Defence Ministry statement said. By successfully summiting Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro, teams have set new benchmarks to inspire young mountaineers across the country and the world at large, he said. Rajesh Kumar Singh added that 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 Ministry of Defence -- HMI, NIM, JIM&WS and National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) -- as shining examples of this vision. The expedition to Mount Everest was conducted to commemorate 60 glorious years of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. It was organised in collaboration with the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling, West Bengal and Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports (JIM&WS), Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. The expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa’s highest peak) was organised by HMI and undertaken by a team comprising a Divyangjan member Uday Kumar having a 91 per cent above-knee amputation. The expedition to Mount Everest was led by Principal, NIM Col Anshuman Bhadauria. The other team members were Col Hem Chandra Singh (Deputy Leader) and instructors from the three institutes Rakesh Singh Rana, Sub Bahadur Pahan, Hav Rajendra Mukhiya, Nk Thupstan Tsewang and Pasang Tenzing Sherpa. The team climbed through the Khumbu Valley and summited Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, on May 23. The expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro was led by Principal, HMI, Darjeeling Gp Capt Jai Kishan. The other team members were Captain Shruti, Sub Mahendra Kumar Yadav, Pawel Sharma and Sulaxchana Tamang. On August 8, 2024, the expedition team set a world record by displaying the largest national flag atop Mount Kilimanjaro. Subsequently, the team displayed the national flag underwater at a depth of 35 feet in the Indian Ocean off Dar es Salaam, Tanzania followed by first-ever tandem skydive by a Divyangjan team on the African continent...////...