Captain Shiva Chouhan, an officer from the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first woman officer operationally deployed at Kumar Post in the Siachen Glacier. Situated at an altitude of 15,632 feet, Kumar Post is renowned as the highest battlefield in the world.
Operational Deployment:
- Capt. Shiva Chouhan, affiliated with Fire and Fury Sappers, undertook this deployment after completing rigorous training.
- The Leh-based 14 Corps of the Army announced her groundbreaking achievement on Twitter.
Background and Training:
- Capt. Chouhan, a Bengal Sapper Officer commissioned in May 2021, hails from Rajasthan.
- Inducted into the Siachen Glacier on January 2, she leads a team of Sappers responsible for various combat engineering tasks during the three-month deployment.
- Prior to deployment, Capt. Chouhan underwent a month of training at the Siachen Battle School, alongside other personnel.
Educational Background:
- Capt. Chouhan completed her schooling in Udaipur.
- She holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from NJR Institute of Technology, Udaipur.
Kumar Post Significance:
- Kumar Post is named after the late Colonel Narinder ‘Bull’ Kumar (retd.), a key figure in the Indian Army’s ‘Operation Meghdoot’ in 1984.
- ‘Operation Meghdoot’ aimed to capture the 76.4 km-long glacier on the Saltoro ridge, initiated on April 13, 1984.
- The platoon led by then Captain Sanjay Kulkarni planted the Indian flag at Bilafond La, marking the start of the longest continuing operation on the world’s highest battlefield.
- In honour of Colonel Narinder Kumar, the battalion headquarters on the glacier was named ‘Kumar Post.’