The National Cadet Corps (NCC) mountaineering team safely returned to the Everest Base Camp on May 19, 2025, after successfully scaling the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest (8,848.86 m), on May 18, 2025. This monumental achievement marks the third successful summit of Mount Everest by the NCC expedition team, following the earlier triumphs in 2013 and 2016. A key highlight of this year’s expedition was the stellar performance of the ten-member cadet team, consisting of novice climbers who were rigorously trained and meticulously selected through a stringent national selection process. The team was composed of an equal number of girl and boy cadets, with an average age of 19 years. The youngest cadet was only 16 years old. The cadets who successfully summited Mount Everest are as follows:
(a) Cadet Monika – Rajasthan
(b) Cadet Pratima Rai – West Bengal
(c) Cadet Rifiness Warjri – Meghalaya
(d) Cadet Kritika Sharma – Himachal Pradesh
(e) Cadet Abida Afreen – Ladakh
(f) Cadet Mohit Knathia – Jammu & Kashmir
(g) Cadet Padma Namgail – Chandigarh
(h) Cadet Virendra Singh Samant – Uttarakhand
(j) Cadet Sachin Kumar – Uttarakhand
(k) Cadet Mukul Bangwal – Uttarakhand
Their exceptional physical readiness and high morale earned commendations from both Sherpa guides and fellow international climbers. Despite encountering challenging weather conditions and navigating treacherous terrain, the team remained steadfast in its resolve and successfully unfurled the National Flag and the NCC Flag atop Mount Everest, symbolising national pride and youthful valour. The expedition was the culmination of a comprehensive and systematic training programme. As part of their preparation, the cadets undertook a pre-Everest expedition to Mt Abi Gamin, followed by a winter training camp at the Army Mountaineering Institute, Siachen Base Camp. Performance during these training phases formed the basis for the final selection of the Everest team.
The expedition team was formally flagged off by the Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, on April 03, 2025. Throughout the expedition, the team adhered strictly to established safety protocols and operational guidelines, ensuring the well-being of all members at every stage. The successful execution of this mission is a testament to the effectiveness of NCC’s structured training regimen and reflects the unwavering spirit, discipline, and potential of the cadets.
