In a historic and awe-inspiring moment, CISF Sub-Inspector Geeta Samota etched her name into mountaineering and women's history as the first-ever CISF personnel to conquer Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak standing tall at 8,849 metres. With this triumphant climb, she fulfilled her long-cherished dream of the ‘Seven Summits’,  a daring goal to scale the highest peak on each continent. 

She began her journey in 2019, and today, she stands proudly atop Mount Everest — a peak scaled by only about 6,000 people since 1953. Her achievement highlights the courage and determination of Indian women in uniform.

From Rajasthan’s Dust to Himalayan Heights! 

Born and raised in Chak village of Sikar district, Rajasthan, Geeta grew up in a modest household with four sisters. Her early promise as a hockey player was cut short by an injury, yet fate had other, steeper peaks planned for her. Joining the Central Industrial Security Force in 2011, Geeta found herself drawn to mountaineering, a path less taken by women in uniform. 

At the time, CISF had no mountaineering wing. Yet, she dared to dream. 

In 2015, she became the only woman in her mountaineering training batch at ITBP’s institute in Auli. 

That same flame saw her scale Mount Satopanth in Uttarakhand, making her the first woman from the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) to do so. 

Rising Through Storms

Geeta's journey was carved with courage and a willingness to fight pain and isolation. While most dreams paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, hers only intensified. 

In just six months and 27 days between 2021 and early 2022, she scaled four global peaks - Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, Mount Elbrus in Russia, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and others. 

This final climb of Mount Everest, described as “the roof of the world,” was her most perilous yet with sub-zero temperatures and air thinner than human endurance. Her courage has earned her accolades like the International Women's Day Award (2023) by the Delhi Commission for Women and the ‘Giving Wings to Dreams’ Award by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. CISF announced her achievement by calling her a “beacon of inspiration for the youth of India.”

A New Horizon for Women in Uniform!

The CISF, inspired by her relentless grit, now plans to send a full mountaineering team to scale Everest in 2026. Her victory is a moment of reckoning,  for policy, gender roles, and representation in the armed forces. Her story is not just a tale of summits, but a symphony of sheer will, feminine, fearless, and forever inspiring.

When the mountain called, she didn’t just answer - she conquered.