PREMLATA AGRAWAL SCALES MT EVEREST

Nksagar-Sagar Media -New Delhi:
PREMLATA AGRAWAL SCALES MT EVEREST is the oldest Indian and the only person from Jharkhand to scale the highest peak.New Delhi, 31st May, 2011: Mother of two daughters, one of whom is married, Premlata Agrawal ascended the world's highest peak Mt. Everest thereby becoming the oldest Indian woman ever and the first person from Jharkhand to do so.

Forty five year old Premlata began her preparations to scale the world's tallest peak on May 6 when she went from the base camp at 18,000 feet to Camp 2 at 22,000 feet and then she climbed to C3 (Camp 3 at 23,000ft where she had to go on artificial oxygen). She then reached C4 (Camp 4, South Col 26000 ft) on 19th May, 2011 and took rest before beginning the final climb to the summit. Before conquering world's highest peak, Premlata went on a climbing exercise at 20,300-feet-high Island Peak in the Himalayas, besides going up and down the Everest base camps for over a month to acclimatize herself with the tough conditions and regime.

“This is a moment of victory for Premlata and for Tata Steel that has supported her at each step to the summit. I extend my heartiest congratulations to her for having achieved this feat. She had the potential and only needed directions to prove her mettle. I am proud of her and it feels as if I have scaled the peak again,” said Ms. Bachendri Pal, Chief, Tata Steel Adventure Foundation & mentor of Premlata Agrawal.

Thanking her mentor and family for supporting her all the way, Ms. Premlata stated “My initiation in the field of adventure came by chance, and has, since then, been an uphill journey. Ms Bachendri Pal has been a source of encouragement and inspiration for me. The credit of my victory goes to my sponsors Tata Steel, my mentor Bachendri Pal and my family. Without their support this would not have been possible.

"I used to visit Tata Sports complex to encourage my daughters to play tennis, it was there that I learned about a hill walking camp being conducted by Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) under the guidance of Ms Bachendri Pal. I enrolled for the camp and successfully completed it. I was impressed by Ms Pal and she motivated me to take the adventure sport," Premlata further elaborated.

On prior occasions, Ms Agarwal has proved her mettle as an adventurous lady by participating in several TSAF (Tata Steel Adventure Foundation) expeditions – notable being the Island Peak Expedition in Nepal (20,600 ft) in 2004, the Karakoram Pass (18,300 ft) and Mt. Stok Kangri (20,150 ft) in 2006, the First Indian Women’s Thar Desert Expedition in 2007 which involved a 40 day Camel Safari along the International Border from Bhuj in Gujarat – Rann of Kutch – Thar in Rajasthan, upto Wagah Border in Punjab. These achievements were also recognized as a National Record and found place in the Limca Book of Records.

About Tata Steel and Sports
Established in 1907 as Asia's first integrated private sector steel company, Tata Steel Group is among the top ten global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of over 28 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). It is now the world's second-most geographically-diversified steel producer, with operations in 26 countries and a commercial presence in over 50 countries. The Tata Steel Group, with a turnover of US$ 26 billion in FY '10, has over 80,000 employees across five continents and is a Fortune 500 company. The Group’s vision is to be the world’s steel industry benchmark in “Value Creation” and “Corporate Citizenship” through the excellence of its people, its innovative approach and overall conduct. Underpinning this vision is a performance culture committed to aspiration targets, safety and social responsibility, continuous improvement, openness and transparency. In 2008, Tata Steel India became the first integrated steel plant in the world, outside Japan, to be awarded the Deming Application Prize 2008 for excellence in Total Quality Management.

About TSAF
The main objective of Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) is to induct people from all walks of life to the thrills and wonders of adventure sports, thereby developing a healthy rapport with environment and nature. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive attitude in life and helps participants cultivate it through a multidisciplinary approach and a wide range of activities. Designed for all age groups, TSAF has special programmes for children, youth, corporate employees and senior citizens. It has evolved the concept of utilising benefits of adventure in everyday life to perfection and aids and encourages many forms of the sport like mountain trekking, parasailing and river rafting. In an effort to extend the benefits to the business world, TSAF has also incorporated the needs of corporate management (particularly team building) in many of its programmes. The Foundation’s core strength lies in its highly capable and motivated personnel (led by renowned mountaineer Ms. Bachendri Pal) who ensure a safe and supportive atmosphere for enthusiasts to willingly participate. They are presented with actual problems, real consequences and real constraints.