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Key points

 Santosh, born in a village in Haryana in affluent family of
landowners

 Refused to marry at the age of sixteen
 Warned her parents that would never marry if she did not get a
proper education

 Got admission in a school in Delhi. Parents agreed to pay her fee
when she threatened to work part time to pay her fee.
 Goes to college in Jaipur. Used to see villagers going up the hill
and disappearing.
 Went there, found nobody except a few climbers; they encouraged
her to take to climbing

 Joins Institute of Mountaineering at Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of
Mountaineering; went there directly from Jaipur; wrote a letter to
father apologising for not taking permission before taking
admission.

 Went on expedition every year; remarkable resistance to cold and
altitude; had an iron will, mental toughness and physical
endurance.
 Conquered Mt. Everest in 19192, when she was barely twenty
years old; becomes the youngest woman in the world to achieve it

 Proved equally helpful to her fellow climbers; provided special care
to fellow climbers; could not save one but managed to save
another climber Mohan Singh by sharing her Oxygen with him.
 Within twelve months was invited by Indo- Nepalese Women’s

Expedition; conquered Everest second time; set a record to have
climbed Everest TWICE.
 Achievement recognized by Indian Government; honoured with
Padmashri
 Described her moments at the top of the peak as spiritual moment

for her; felt proud to be an Indian.
 Acted as an environmentalist also; brought down 500 kilograms of
garbage from Himalayas.

Character Sketch:

1. Santosh Yadav