Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off the National Cadet Corps (NCC) All India Girls High Altitude Long Trek, titled Aparajita, in New Delhi on 18 August 2026. The expedition sends 28 girl cadets, led by three women officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force, on a 250-kilometre trek across one of the most challenging high-altitude routes in the country. The team will cross the Parang La Pass at 5,578 metres (18,300 feet), traversing the remote terrain between Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh and the Changthang region of Ladakh over 30 days.
About the Aparajita Expedition
The Aparajita expedition is the NCC’s flagship adventure activity for girl cadets, conceptualised to promote women’s empowerment, leadership, self-confidence, teamwork, endurance and national integration. Named after the Sanskrit word meaning “undefeated” or “undaunted”, the trek sends 28 girl cadets from NCC Directorates across India on a gruelling 30-day, 250-kilometre journey through some of the most remote and demanding terrain in the Himalayas.
Expedition Route and Terrain
The route begins at Kibber in Spiti Valley, one of the highest permanently inhabited villages in India at 4,270 metres, and proceeds through Dumla, Thaltak and Bongrojen before crossing the Parang La Pass. The team then descends through Dak Karzong, Norbu Sumdo and Kiangdom, finally reaching Korzok on the banks of Tso Moriri Lake in Ladakh.
The terrain presents an extraordinary mix of high-altitude deserts, glaciers, snowfields and river valleys. Trekkers will navigate crevassed glaciers, cross the Pare Chu river (which uniquely originates in India, flows into Tibet, re-enters India, and empties into Tso Moriri Lake), and endure temperatures that can plunge well below freezing even in August. The route follows an ancient trade route that once connected the people of Spiti, Ladakh and Tibet.
Two-Phase Selection Process
The expedition was conducted in two phases to ensure only the most prepared cadets undertook the final trek. A preparatory and acclimatisation trek was first carried out in the Bhaba-Pin Valley sector of Himachal Pradesh. Based on performance during this phase, the final team of 28 girl cadets was selected purely on merit. The team has an average age of 19 years, with the youngest participant being just 16-and-a-half years old.
The expedition is accompanied by officers, instructors, medical staff and support personnel to ensure the safety and well-being of all cadets throughout the journey.
The Parang La Pass: A Historic Trade Route
The Parang La Pass, situated at an altitude of 5,578 metres (18,300 feet), is a high-altitude mountain pass in the Trans-Himalayan region. It connects the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh with the Changthang Plateau of Ladakh, and is regarded as one of the most challenging high-altitude trekking routes in India.
In ancient times, the pass served as a traditional trade route between the inhabitants of Spiti, Changthang in Ladakh, and Tibet. Traders carried goods across this rugged corridor, navigating crevassed glaciers and steep gorges. The Parilungbi River flows on the Spitian side of the pass, and a glacier with numerous crevasses lies approximately 3 kilometres northeast of the summit, making the crossing particularly treacherous.
Geographic Significance
The pass sits within a landscape shaped by the ancient Tethys Sea, which once covered this region before the Himalayas were formed by tectonic uplift. Fossils found in the Parilugui gorge along the route provide evidence of this marine history, earning the area the description of being a vast natural museum. The region is also home to rare Himalayan wildlife, including the elusive snow leopard, ibex, bharal (blue sheep) and the Tibetan wolf.
Spiti Valley, the starting point of the trek, is a cold desert region in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. Characterised by stark, barren landscapes, ancient Buddhist monasteries and high-altitude villages, it remains one of the least populated regions in India. The Changthang Plateau on the Ladakh side is a high-altitude grassland region inhabited by the Changpa nomadic community, known for rearing the pashmina goat whose wool produces the famed Kashmiri pashmina shawl.
The National Cadet Corps: Youth Wing of the Armed Forces
The National Cadet Corps (NCC) is a tri-services youth organisation that operates under the Ministry of Defence. Headquartered in New Delhi, the NCC is the world’s largest uniformed youth organisation, enrolling students from schools, colleges and universities across India on a voluntary basis.
NCC History and Structure
The NCC was formally established on 15 July 1948, following the passage of the National Cadet Corps Act, 1948 by the Indian Parliament. It succeeded the University Officers Training Corps (UOTC), which was created by the British in 1942 during World War II. The NCC was inaugurated with 20,000 cadets organised into 98 units.
The Girls Division was raised in 1949, just a year after the NCC’s inception, providing young women with equal opportunities for training and character development. The Air Wing was added in 1950 and the Naval Wing in 1952, transforming the NCC into a full tri-service organisation. The NCC’s motto is “Unity and Discipline”, adopted on 12 October 1980.
During the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1965 and 1971, NCC cadets served as the second line of defence, setting up camps to assist ordnance factories, supplying arms and ammunition to the front, and patrolling to capture enemy paratroopers. They also worked closely with civil defence authorities in rescue operations and traffic control.
NCC’s Adventure Training Framework
Adventure activities form a core component of NCC training, designed to build endurance, acclimatisation, navigation skills and team coordination in difficult terrain. The NCC regularly organises high-altitude treks, mountaineering expeditions, parasailing, scuba diving and motorbike rallies. The Aparajita trek is part of the Pre-Monsoon Mountaineering Expedition 2026 programme of NCC Headquarters, guided by Director General Lieutenant General Virendra Vats.
The NCC supplies approximately 25% of cadets who receive officer training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), the Officers Training Academy (OTA) and the National Defence Academy (NDA). This proportion is notably higher among female cadets, making the NCC a vital pipeline for women officers in the Indian Armed Forces.
Nari Shakti: Women Leading from the Front
The Aparajita expedition is notable for being led entirely by women. Three women officers, each representing one of the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force), command the trek. The 28 participating girl cadets, drawn from NCC Directorates across the country, embody the spirit of Nari Shakti (women’s power) that the government has championed across defence and security domains.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the participation of young girls in such a demanding high-altitude expedition as a “powerful testimony to the courage, determination and growing capabilities of women in the country.” He praised the cadets for demonstrating the spirit of Nari Shakti by leading from the front in one of the most physically and mentally taxing adventure activities.
Advisory from the Defence Minister
Singh urged the cadets to keep three priorities at the forefront throughout the expedition: safety, environmental protection and interaction with local communities. He called on them to strictly follow the guidance of instructors, avoid unnecessary risks, and adopt a zero-waste approach to protect the fragile Himalayan ecology. He also encouraged them to engage respectfully with local communities, understand their culture and traditions, and learn from their experiences.
Describing the expedition as a potential defining milestone in their lives, Singh told the cadets to remain Aparajita (undaunted) at every stage of life. He highlighted the growing achievements of NCC cadets in adventure activities across land, water and air, noting that the participation of cadets from different parts of the country, representing diverse languages, cultures and backgrounds while pursuing a common mission, reflected the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat (One India, Great India).
Significance for National Integration and Defence Preparedness
The Aparajita expedition serves a dual purpose. It is both a leadership and character-building exercise for young cadets and a demonstration of India’s commitment to integrating women into all facets of defence and adventure training.
Building Resilient Youth
High-altitude treks like Parang La test physical endurance, mental resilience, teamwork and self-confidence in ways that routine training cannot replicate. The extreme conditions, including thin air, sub-zero temperatures, treacherous terrain and isolation from urban infrastructure, force cadets to rely on each other and on their own inner strength. Singh noted that such expeditions develop leadership qualities and provide life lessons in resilience, confidence and self-discovery.
National Integration Through Diversity
The participating cadets come from NCC Directorates spread across India, bringing together diverse languages, cultures and regional backgrounds under a single mission. This diversity, as Singh highlighted, reflects the Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat initiative, which promotes national integration through cultural exchange and shared experiences among youth from different states and union territories.
Promoting Himalayan Environmental Awareness
The Defence Minister’s emphasis on a zero-waste approach during the trek also draws attention to the environmental fragility of high-altitude Himalayan ecosystems. The route passes through ecologically sensitive zones, including areas near Tso Moriri Lake, a Ramsar wetland site of international importance. Encouraging young cadets to adopt environmentally responsible practices in such settings instils a conservation mindset that extends beyond the expedition itself.
Key Takeaways
- The NCC All India Girls High Altitude Long Trek Aparajita Parang La 2026 was flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on 18 August 2026.
- The expedition covers 250 kilometres over 30 days, crossing the Parang La Pass at 5,578 metres (18,300 feet) connecting Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh with the Changthang region of Ladakh.
- 28 girl cadets with an average age of 19 years (youngest 16.5 years) are participating, led by three women officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force.
- The National Cadet Corps was established on 15 July 1948 under the National Cadet Corps Act, 1948, and operates under the Ministry of Defence. The Girls Division was raised in 1949.
- The expedition was conducted in two phases, with a preparatory acclimatisation trek in the Bhaba-Pin Valley sector before the final team was selected on merit.
- The NCC supplies approximately 25% of cadets receiving officer training at the IMA, OTA and NDA, with a notably higher proportion among female cadets.
