Arunachal doubles youth training slots at NIMAS to boost adventure sports

The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to double the number of youths sponsored each year for training at the National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (NIMAS) in Dirang, Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced on November 3.

The annual sponsorship will rise from 200 to 400 trainees, allowing more young people to receive professional adventure education and skill development at the country’s premier adventure training centre.

“Good news for adventure enthusiasts! We have decided to increase the number of youths sponsored by the government for training at NIMAS from 200 to 400 annually,” Khandu wrote on X.

The chief minister visited NIMAS on Sunday to review its infrastructure and ongoing development projects with Director Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal, a noted mountaineer. “During my visit to NIMAS, India’s only institute offering training across all three domains of adventure sports, I reviewed campus facilities and ongoing development,” Khandu stated.

He said the expanded sponsorship scheme aims to build a new generation of adventure professionals from Arunachal Pradesh. “This expansion will inspire young Arunachalis to embrace the spirit of adventure, discipline, and leadership,” Khandu added.

Located in Dirang, West Kameng district, NIMAS operates under the Ministry of Defence and is India’s only institute providing certified training in mountaineering, aero-adventure, and aqua-adventure. The institute has played a key role in promoting adventure tourism, national expeditions, and high-altitude skill training across the country.