All-Women BSF Team Scales Mount Everest, Creates History

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Friday, 22 May 2026

A team of women from the Border Security Force (BSF) made history on Thursday morning by successfully scaling the world's tallest peak, Mount Everest, in their first all-female mountaineering effort. This is the part of the BSF Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, named ‘Mission Vande Mataram’.

The team members are Constable Kouser Fatima from Ladakh, Constable Munmun Ghosh from West Bengal, Constable Rabeka Singh from Uttarakhand and constable Tsering Chorol from Kargil. Representing diverse regions of the country and coming from humble backgrounds, the four mountaineers embody the spirit of courage, determination, discipline and dedication to the service of the nation.

After the successful ascent, Director-General, BSF, Praveen Kumar spoke to the team live from the top of the mountain, 8,848.86 metres above sea level and congratulated them on behalf of the entire BSF and the nation.

The BSF chief praised the mountaineers for their exemplary courage, “resilience and unwavering determination, describing the expedition as a shining symbol of the indomitable spirit, professionalism and dedication of BSF personnel,” a BSF spokesperson said.

Promoting the motto “Clean Himalaya – Clean Glaciers”, the BSF mountaineering contingent will collect 500 kg of waste from higher camps on Mount Everest and transport it to Namche Bazaar for proper disposal, reaffirming the force’s commitment to environmental conservation.

Key Highlights:

• Border Security Force women climbers scaled Mount Everest in the force’s first all-female expedition
• Four women personnel from different parts of India led the historic ‘Mission Vande Mataram’
• The team will also remove 500 kg of waste from Everest camps under the “Clean Himalaya” initiative

The expedition is aimed at empowering women and enhancing their operational capabilities, resilience and adventure spirit in the high altitude areas among the women personnel of BSF, it stated. The expedition also gives an idea of the increasing role and capabilities of the women personnel of BSF in undertaking operational and adventure activities.

The team had been put through a specially-designed training course for the expedition under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali. This mission was flagged off from New Delhi on April 6.

The all-male mountaineering team of the BSF will also try to climb Mount Lhotse in the coming 2-3 days as a continuation of this mission. The peak, at 8,516 metres, is the fourth highest in the world, and is directly linked to Mount Everest via the South Col, from where the women's team had begun their ascent, across the border into Nepal from Tibet.

Previously, BSF personnel have summited 50 of the more prominent peaks, including in 2006 and 2018, Mount Everest.

The BSF was raised in 1965 to manage the International Border (IB) with Pakistan in the western part and with Bangladesh in the eastern part during peacetime. It is also being used along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, and also in high altitude areas like Kargil, with the Indian Army.