Three special-needs students from North Andhra join Everest base camp expedition

Visakhapatnam: Three students with special needs from north Andhra Pradesh have been selected for a pioneering Everest Base Camp expedition organised by the Andhra Pradesh department of school education and Samagra Shiksha. The expedition, claimed to be the first of its kind in the country, involves a 21-member group of students with special needs from across the state. Among those selected are Ch Pavan Kumar of Kundram ZP High School, Anakapalli mandal, and L Hari Sri Durga Prasad of Jogampeta ZP High School, Golugonda mandal, both from Anakapalli district, and V Jnana Sai of Chapara ZP High School, Moliaputti mandal in Srikakulam district. The 16-day expedition commenced on Wednesday and will conclude on April 30. All participants are studying in government educational institutions, ranging from Class IX to Intermediate, and will trek to the Everest Base Camp, situated at an altitude of 5,364 metres. The selected students cleared both district- and state-level screening processes and later underwent specialised training in Ladakh as part of the final selection phase. The team travelled from Vijayawada to Delhi and then to Kathmandu, from where the Everest Base Camp trek begins.