Meghalaya’s Rifiness Warjri becomes third woman from state to summit Mount Everest

In a proud moment for Meghalaya and the National Cadet Corps (NCC), Rifiness Warjri, a 20-year-old NCC cadet and student of St. Anthony’s College, has successfully scaled Mount Everest, becoming the third woman from the state to conquer the world’s highest peak.

The feat was accomplished on Sunday as part of a 10-member NCC expedition team, comprising cadets with an average age of 19. The team successfully reached the 8,848.86-meter summit and unfurled the Indian national flag, marking a significant achievement for the NCC’s mountaineering program.

Warjri was the sole cadet selected from the entire Northeast region for the high-altitude expedition, highlighting her exceptional grit and determination. This is not her first mountaineering success—she had earlier scaled Mount Abi Gamin (7,355 meters) in Uttarakhand in August 2023 as part of her training.

With this ascent, Warjri joins an elite group of women from Meghalaya who have reached Everest’s summit, following in the footsteps of Wansuk Myrthong (2013) and Dolyne Kharbhih (2016).

Officials praised Warjri's achievement as a testament to the courage, discipline, and endurance fostered through NCC training, and expressed hope that her success would inspire more youth from the Northeast to pursue adventure and national pride.