Uttarkashi- Colonel S.S. Rajpurohit has officially assumed charge as the 17th Principal of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarkashi. Taking over the responsibility on Thursday, he pledged to strengthen the institute’s legacy by focusing on high-quality training, safety standards, innovation, environmental conservation and promoting adventure activities among the youth.
Colonel Rajpurohit succeeds Colonel Anshuman Bhadauria, who suffered a high-altitude stroke while descending after successfully summiting Mount Everest during NIM’s expedition last year. Since then, Colonel Bhadauria has been undergoing treatment in Delhi. During his absence, Colonel Hemchandra Singh, Principal of the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, had been serving as the officiating Principal of NIM.
With Colonel Bhadauria’s tenure ending and his recovery still incomplete, the Ministry of Defence appointed Colonel Rajpurohit as the institute’s new Principal.
Colonel Rajpurohit brings nearly 24 years of experience in high-altitude operations, mountain warfare, leadership and military training. Before his appointment, he served as an instructor at the High Altitude Warfare School, where he trained personnel in mountain warfare, winter warfare and cold-weather operations.
He has successfully completed several specialised military training programmes with outstanding grades and has participated in multiple mountaineering expeditions, including three successful ascents of Machoi Peak, the Mount Bhagirathi II expedition and the successful climb of Mount D-41. He is also a qualified skydiver with notable achievements in adventure training.
