Exactly at 11.02 am on Saturday, Aparna Kumar was literally on top of the world! Because after two unsuccessful attempts, the UP IPS officer finally managed to scale the heights of Mount Everest. Previously, an avalanche in 2014 and an earthquake in 2015, had prevented her from making the conquest.
Thankfully, good luck along with grit and determination prevailed this time. With this feat, the 41-year-old also became the first civil servant to have scaled the tallest peak in the world.
Minutes after her success, UP govt tweeted news of Aparna’s feat and congratulatory messages started pouring in.
It’s not just Mount Everest that Aparna has conquered, in the past she has embarked on several other expeditions including peaks in Antarctica and Mount Kilimanjaro. On January 17, 2016, she became the country’s first civil servant to scale Mount Vinson Massif, the highest peak in the Antarctica.
Aparna’s husband Sanjay Kumar, who is also Allahabad’s district magistrate, was elated and said that that she is the first all-India service officer (male or female) to scale the highest peak of six out of seven continents. He also told Times of India:
“She unfurled the national tricolor and flag of UP Police at the summit. A proud moment for the nation and UP Police.”