New Delhi:
G Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Home Affairs felicitated the 16 members expedition team of CISF who successfully summitted Mount Satopanth peak, was organised at DMRC Auditorium here on Wednesday.
Rajesh Ranjan DG, CISF, Dr.Mangu Singh MD, DMRC, and other Senior Officers of CISF were present during the ceremony.
A 16 members mountaineering expedition team was flagged-off by Rajesh Ranjan, Director General, CISF to hoist the National and CISF Flags atop Mt. Satopanth peak (7075m). The team was led by Raghubir Lal, DIG. Three women personnel including Ms AshokaNandini, Asstt. Commandant were also part of the team.
CISF as part of CAPFs team, in its maiden attempt, is going to undertake Mount Everest Expedition in March-April, 2020. In order to provide CISF team members pre-Mt Everest expedition experience, the expedition to Mount Satopanth was launched. Mt. Satopanth is 2nd highest peak in western Himalayas of Gangotri Region, Garhwal in the state of Uttarakhand. It has all the features which are essential to gain technical knowledge & first-hand experience, courage & confidence to the mountaineers planning ascent to Mt. Everest.
This was the maiden Mountaineering expedition by CISF and a new record has been created of being the first CAPF whose expedition team comprising of three women personnel have achieved this feat. The main objective of this expedition was to spread the message of empowering women through mountaineering, to keep spirit of adventure alive in force and to inculcate the taste of adventure amongst officers, men and women personnel in the force.
During the expedition, the team pushed their limit and achieved their goal by exposing themselves to the highest order of mental and physical challenges, which included exposures to low atmospheric pressure, thin air, sub-zero temperatures, incessant snow blizzards and many other harsh climatic conditions.
In his address, G. Kishan Reddy congratulated the team members and said that self-confidence and indomitable courage is extremely necessary for such expeditions. He admired the commendable efforts made by the women personnel of the team, who along-with their male counterparts faced the challenging situations and successfully conquered the Mount Satopanth peak.
Rajesh Ranjan, DG, CISF congratulated the expedition team and said that CISF is committed to “Fit India Movement” and “Women Empowerment” initiated by the Prime Minister of India. Achievement of the expedition team coincides with the “Fit India Pledge” and women empowerment. He also said that, the women personnel of the expedition team broke the stereotype and remained on equal footing at every stage with their male counterparts and spread strong message towards women empowerment.