The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is set to undertake its first all-women expedition to Mount Everest during May–June this year, in a move aimed at promoting women’s empowerment and enhancing high-altitude operational capabilities.
A 17-member team has been constituted for the mission, including three male personnel. While 14 members will attempt the summit, the remaining three will be stationed at the Everest Base Camp to provide administrative and logistical support.
The expedition will be carried out via the Nepal route, rather than the more challenging northern approach through Tibet. Officials said the initiative follows a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs to scale Everest annually over the next three years.
Although women personnel have been part of several mountaineering and adventure activities in the past, this will be the first time the force undertakes an exclusive all-women Everest expedition. In September 2025, a 14-member all-women team led by Assistant Commandant Bhanita had successfully summited Mount Nun in Ladakh. Members of that team now form the core of the upcoming Everest mission.
The ITBP has a strong legacy in mountaineering, having undertaken over 230 expeditions since 1970, including several international climbs. Of these, 16 peaks scaled by the force exceed 8,000 metres. It has also conducted five expeditions to Everest and participated in joint missions with other organisations.
Raised in 1962 to guard India’s high-altitude borders with China, the force currently comprises around 80,000 personnel, including 4,522 women constables, popularly known as Himveeranganas. Since 2021, women officers have also been inducted into combat roles at the rank of Assistant Commandant.
Women personnel in the ITBP are now deployed across a wide range of roles, including frontline border duties, anti-Naxal operations, quick reaction teams, bomb disposal squads and specialised units.
In a further push towards gender inclusion, the force is setting up 10 all-women border outposts along the Line of Actual Control with China. Additionally, dedicated facilities, including insulated barracks and separate living quarters, are being developed at multiple forward locations.
Officials said the Everest expedition represents both a symbolic and operational milestone, reflecting the growing role of women in demanding high-altitude and combat environments.
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