Meet Captain Shiva Chauhan, the first woman officer operationally deployed at Siachen - Earth's highest battleground

Who Is Captain Shiva Chauhan: Fire and Fury Corps officer Captain Shiva Chauhan from the Corps of Engineers has been posted at a frontline post in Siachen Glacier, marking the first time a woman army officer operationally deployed at the world's highest battlefield.

Capt Chauhan hails from Rajasthan and is a Bengal Sapper Officer. She has done her schooling in Udaipur and holds a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from NJR Institute of Technology, Udaipur.

When she was 11 years old, her father passed away and her mother took care of her academics.

She was inspired to join the Indian Armed Forces since her childhood. While undergoing training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, she showed unmatched fervor and was commissioned into the Engineer Regiment in May 2021.

The officer underwent rigorous training including endurance training, ice wall climbing, avalanche and crevasse rescue, and survival drills. She got inducted to the Siachen Glacier on January 2, this year after an arduous climb.

"In spite of various challenges, Captain Shiva with unflinching commitment successfully completed the training and was all set to be inducted to the Siachen Glacier," said an Army official, according to a PTI report.

According to the PTI report, the team of Sappers led by Capt Shiva Chouhan will be responsible for numerous combat engineering tasks and will be deployed at the post for a duration of three months.

The Siachen glacier at a height of around 20,000 feet in the Karakoram range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds.

In the past, women officers have been posted to Siachen base camp which is at about 9,000 ft as part of their regular postings along with the unit.

"It was a proud moment for Indian Army when Capt Shiva Chauhan became the first woman officer to get operationally deployed at the world's highest battlefield, Siachen, after a month's arduous training at Siachen Battle School along with other personnel," the Army said in a statement.

In a Twitter post, Fire and Fury Corps, Indian Army said, "Breaking the Glass Ceiling'. Capt Shiva Chauhan of Fire and Fury Sappers became the first woman officer to be operationally deployed in Kumar Post, post completion of arduous training, at the highest battlefield of the world."

'Breaking the Glass Ceiling'

Capt Shiva Chauhan of Fire and Fury Sappers became the first woman officer to be operationally deployed in Kumar Post, post completion of arduous training, at the highest battlefield of the world #Siachen.#SuraSoi@PMOIndia @DefenceMinIndia @adgpi pic.twitter.com/nQbmJxvLQ4

— @firefurycorps_IA (@firefurycorps) January 3, 2023

"This will make every Indian proud, illustrating the spirit of India`s Nari Shakti," the Prime Minister tweeted in response to a tweet by Fire and Fury Sappers.

(With agencies' input)