Captain Shiva Chauhan is the first woman military officer to be actively assigned to the world’s highest battleground, the Siachen Glacier. Following rigorous preparation, the officer was dispatched to the Kumar post in Siachen Glacier, situated at an altitude of around 4755 meters.
According to the Indian Army, Captain Shiva Chauhan will oversee a squad of Sappers carrying out different military engineering duties. The officer received intensive instruction at the Siachen Military School, where she studied alongside Indian Army leaders and soldiers. According to the report, the preparation encompassed resistance training, ice rock climbing, blizzard and trench rescue, and survival exercises.
Previously, women officers were assigned to the Siachen campsite, located at around 2743 meters, as a part of their regular assignments with the army. The Siachen Glacier location is essential for the country’s military since it is the highest occupied area in the world, with soldiers fighting frostbite and fierce winds. After extensive training, the officer was sent to the Kumar station in Siachen, located at an elevation of roughly 4755 meters.
Because of its location between the Karakoram Ranges and the Saltoro Ridge, the area is geographically significant. The Saltoro Ridge provides a view of the disputed province of Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK). The Glacier is also near the Karakoram Pass, over which the Karakoram Expressway connects Gilgit-Baltistan with China’s Xinjiang Region. The Glacier area is close to the Shaksgam Valley, where Pakistan lost to China.
Early Life and Career
Shiva, who was inducted into the Engineer Corps in May 2021, grew up in Udaipur with an undergraduate degree in civil engineering. She had lost her father when she was 11 years old, and her mother, a homemaker, took great care of her education.
She had been determined to join the Indian Armed Services from childhood and shown unparalleled dedication while attending Officers Training School in Chennai. As stated by the Army, Captain Shiva has taken on arduous duties since the beginning of her military career. Captain Shiva displayed strength and devotion by accomplishing the Sura Soi Bicycle Campaign from the Siachen Memorial Site to the Kargil Memorial Site during the Vijay Diwas celebration in July 2022, spanning a journey of 508 kilometres.
According to the NDTV, “The officer then took up the challenge of leading the men of Sura Soi Engineer Regiment at the world’s highest battlefield and based on her performance was selected to undergo training at the Siachen Battle School,” the Army said. As per the Indian Express, Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh sent his heartiest congratulations to Captain Chauhan. He said he was pleased to see more women entering the armed services and taking every difficulty in stride. “Excellent news! I am extremely happy to see more women joining the Armed Forces and take every challenge in stride. It is an encouraging sign. My best wishes to Capt Shiva Chauhan,” he tweeted.
