Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt flagged-in, in New Delhi on December 13, 2023, a team of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling that carried out ‘Mission Antarctica’. The expedition, which commenced in 2021, was undertaken by a team of three trekkers, led by Group Captain Jai Kishan. The team hoisted the National Flag, measuring 7,500 sq ft and weighing 75 kilograms across the length and breadth of the country, including atop Mt Rhenock in Sikkim Himalayas at an altitude of 16,500 feet. It was recorded as the biggest Indian National Flag hoisted atop a mountain in the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records. During the expedition, the team also displayed the Tri-colour over Mount Vinson Peak, the highest peak of South Pole.
During the flag-in ceremony, the Raksha Rajya Mantri witnessed the final display of 7,500 sq ft National Flag at the Air Force Bal Bharati School in the national capital. The event also witnessed the culmination of the mega roadshow ‘Mera Yuva Bharat Yatra’, wherein holy soil and water from the higher reaches of Himalaya (16,000ft) in Sikkim were presented to Ajay Bhatt. Addressing the gathering, the Raksha Rajya Mantri lauded the efforts put in by the expedition team, terming these as out-of-the-box initiatives aimed at promoting the spirit of adventure and patriotism among the youth. Stating that the country, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has entered into Amrit Kaal, he called upon the school children to become part of this great journey and will make the nation Viksit Bharat. i Ajay Bhatt urged the students to study hard and participate enthusiastically in the extracurricular activities for the overall development. He appealed to the students to take part in the Government’s initiatives such as Khelo India, and Mera Yuva Bharat. During the event, the students of Air Force Bal Bharti School presented a patriotic cultural programme. Senior civil and military officials of MoD, students, parents and school faculty were present on the occasion.
