Captain Shiva Chouhan of the Indian Army’s Fire and Fury Corps became the first woman officer to ever be deployed at the world’s highest battlefield, Siachen. The captain completed a month of arduous training at Siachen Battle School.
The Fire and Fury Corps announced on Tuesday that officer Chauhan has been deployed to the Kumar Post after successfully completing her training.
Read this article to find out more about Captain Shiva Chouhan’s journey, family, education, and much more.
'Breaking the Glass Ceiling'
— @firefurycorps_IA (@firefurycorps) January 3, 2023
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
In 2021, shiva goy was commissioned into the Engineering Regiment of the Indian Army as a Lieutenant. Later, Shiva was promoted to the post of captain through field ranking.
In July 2022, Capt Chouhan successfully led the Sura Soi Cycling Expedition from Siachen War Memorial to Kargil War Memorial, covering a distance of 508 km. This was conducted on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas and was a huge success.
She took on the challenge of leading the men of the Sura Soi Engineer Regiment at Siachen and did so admirably that she was selected to undergo training at the Siachen Battle School.
The officer was put through challenging and difficult training at the battle school, where she trained with other Indian Army commanders. Exercises like endurance training, ice wall climbing, avalanche and crevasse rescue, and survival exercises were all part of the program. Despite a lot of obstacles, Captain Shiva Chouhan completed the program with great perseverance.
She finally arrived at the Siachen Glacier on January 2nd after a long and difficult journey. The Sappers, led by Captain Shiva Chouhan, will now be responsible for several military engineering activities at the location for the next three months.
Captain Shiva Chouhan is born and bought up in a Rajasthani Hindu Family. Her father’s name is not known, however, according to the reports Shiva lost her father at the age of 11. Her mother is a housewife and was responsible for taking care of shiva’s studies.
In an interview, Shiva Chauhan revealed that it was her mother who motivated her to become an Army Officer. She mentioned that she learned presentation skills from her elder sister, saying that it was helpful in honing her leadership skills.
“Since her childhood, she was motivated to join Indian Armed Forces and showcased unparalleled zeal during training at OTA (Officers Training Academy), Chennai and was commissioned into the Engineer Regiment in May 2021,” the Army said.
Captain Shiva Chouhan is a Bengal Sapper from Rajasthan. She did her schooling in Udaipur. After completing her school, Shiva graduated from the NJR Institute of Technology in Udaipur with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
#WATCH | Capt Shiva Chouhan becomes the first woman officer to get operationally deployed at the world's highest battlefield, Siachen, after training at Siachen Battle School along with other personnel.
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2023
(Source: Indian Army) pic.twitter.com/He6oPwdQM9
The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the Karakoram range in the Himalayas. India has controlled the entirety of the Siachen Glacier since 1984, but Pakistan still has territorial claims over it, controls the region west of Saltoro Ridge (lying west of the glacier), and operates many outposts there.
The Siachen Glacier has been a crucial part of the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan. The two countries have been fighting over the glacier for years, and it has played a major role in their relations.
The inspiring story of Captain Shiva Chouhan shows that women can not only succeed in male-dominated fields but also that women of all ages can pursue their dreams and achieve great things.