By Inder Vasishtha
Geeta Samota, a lady sub-inspector of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), created history by successfully climbing the 8,849 m (29,032 ft) high Mount Everest. On the morning of Monday, 19 May 2025, when Geeta stood on the roof of the world, that moment was not just a personal victory but also became a symbol of the strength of CISF and the immense courage of the nation of India.
This inspirational journey of Geeta, which started from a small Chak village in Sikar district of Rajasthan, is the result of the indomitable courage that overcame every obstacle and made an extraordinary achievement possible.
Born in a simple family with four sisters, Geeta Samota was brought up in a traditional rural environment in Chak village of Sikar district of Rajasthan. Geeta completed her schooling and college education from local institutions.
Since childhood, she had heard a lot of stories about the achievements of boys, but when it came to the success of girls, she felt a void, this void gave birth to the desire to create her own identity. Geeta had a special interest in sports from the beginning and during her college days, she was known as a promising hockey player. But an unfortunate injury stopped her sports career midway. It was a setback that unknowingly turned her towards a new direction, a path where she not only rediscovered herself, but also brought pride to the country and the force.
Geeta Samota joined CISF in 2011. In her early years of service, she observed that mountaineering was an area that was known to very few in the force. Until then, CISF did not even have a dedicated mountaineering team. Geeta saw this situation as an opportunity and not a challenge. Her vision brought her to a turning point in 2015 when she was selected for a six-week basic mountaineering course at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) training institute in Auli. Notably, she was the only female participant in her batch. Her outstanding performance during the training not only strengthened her confidence and determination but also took her passion and skill for mountaineering to new heights. As a result, she successfully completed the advanced mountaineering training in 2017, becoming the first and only CISF personnel to do so. These rigorous training programmes proved to be crucial in honing the mountaineering talent hidden within her.
Geeta’s unflinching perseverance culminated in a significant achievement in 2019 when she became the first woman from the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) to successfully scale Mount Satapath (7,075 m) in Uttarakhand and Mount Lobuche (6,119 m) in Nepal. However, the CAPF expedition scheduled for Mount Everest in early 2021, in which Geeta was a key member, was cancelled due to technical reasons.
It was at this juncture that he took on an even more challenging goal: the Seven Summits expedition, which involves climbing the highest peaks on all seven continents.
Despite unprecedented challenges like the global corona pandemic, Geeta Samota never let her dream of this expedition waver. Between the year 2021 and the beginning of the year 2022, she successfully climbed four inaccessible peaks as part of this challenge, Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 m) in Australia, Mount Elbrus (5,642 m) in Russia, Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) in Tanzania, and Mount Aconcagua (6,961 m) in Argentina. By conquering these four peaks in just six months and 27 days, Geeta Samota became the fastest Indian woman to progress so quickly in the Seven Summits expedition. This achievement is a testament to her indomitable will, discipline and dedication. This series of her achievements did not stop here.
In the Rupshu region of Ladakh, Geeta successfully climbed five peaks, three above 6,000 metres and two above 5,000 metres, in just three days, becoming the first and fastest woman mountaineer to do so.
Geeta’s vision is as inspiring as her mountaineering journeys. Geeta says, “Mountains treat everyone equally. They don’t discriminate on the basis of your gender. Only those who have a special ‘X-factor’ can touch these heights.” Her vision is not only a source of inspiration for the coming generations but also gives a message of gender equality and self-confidence. CISF has also played an active role in her endeavours. Be it opportunities to participate in expeditions or the necessary financial support.
Geeta Samota has not just scaled the heights of mountains but has also challenged the societal stereotypes that define the limits of women. She has proved that women can excel even in the most difficult and challenging fields. Geeta’s message to young girls is clear and strong – “Dream big, work hard and never give up.” Her thought is an inspiration that gives the power to turn the impossible into possible.