'Vande Mataram' from top of the world: BSF's first all-women team conquers Everest

NEW DELHI: An all-women Border Security Force (BSF) mountaineering team on Thursday created a record by scaling Mount Everest, marking the feat by singing "Vande Mataram" from the world's highest peak, a spokesperson of the border-guarding force said.The team comprised constable Kouser Fatima from Ladakh, constable Munmun Ghosh from West Bengal, constable Rabeka Singh from Uttarakhand and constable Tsering Chorol from Kargil. They successfully summited the 8,848.86-metre peak at 8 am (IST) on Thursday.The mountaineers also sang the national song from the summit, the BSF spokesperson said, adding that the expedition was a tribute to the 150th anniversary of "Vande Mataram" in 2026. BSF director general Praveen Kumar spoke to the women personnel through a radio link and congratulated them.The team was flagged off from Delhi on April 6 for their maiden expedition. The event was also planned to commemorate the BSF's diamond jubilee year.The BSF, raised in 1965, is India's primary border-guarding force with about 2.7 lakh personnel. It is tasked with guarding India's borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, apart from internal security duties.