Avtar Singh Cheema
Encyclopedia
Col Avtar Singh Cheema: was the first India
n to climb Mount Everest
. He was a part of the third mission undertaken by the Indian Army
, in 1965, to climb Mt. Everest after two failed attempts. He successfully conquered the mountain on 20 May 1965. He was Captain in the Parachute regiment
at that time. Later he was promoted to colonel.
He was awarded Arjuna award
and Padma Shri
for his achievements. He hails from Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan
state.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n to climb Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
. He was a part of the third mission undertaken by the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
, in 1965, to climb Mt. Everest after two failed attempts. He successfully conquered the mountain on 20 May 1965. He was Captain in the Parachute regiment
Parachute Regiment (India)
-History:The first Indian airborne formation was the 50 Independent Parachute Brigade raised on 29 October 1941 with 151 British, 152 Indian, and 153 Gurkha Parachute Battalions and other support units....
at that time. Later he was promoted to colonel.
He was awarded Arjuna award
Arjuna award
The Arjuna Awards were instituted in 1961 by the government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. The award carries a cash prize of 500,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll....
and Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
for his achievements. He hails from Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
state.