Rajnath Singh Felicitates IASV Triveni Crew

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh felicitated nine women officers in New Delhi on 30 July 2026 for completing the first-ever Tri-service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition named Samudra Pradakshina. The expedition was undertaken on the Indian Army Sailing Vessel Triveni and covered about 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans in 314 days.

Expedition Route and Circumnavigation Criteria

The expedition began with a virtual flag-off from the Gateway of India, Mumbai, on 11 September 2025. The crew was virtually flagged-in in Mumbai on 22 July 2026 after completing the voyage. Circumnavigation is a global sailing route that requires passage across all meridians of longitude and at least one crossing of the Equator. The crew crossed the Equator twice and the International Date Line during the voyage.

Three Great Capes and Drake Passage

The voyage included rounding the Three Great Capes, namely Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn, and the Cape of Good Hope. The crew also passed through the Drake Passage, which lies between Cape Horn and Antarctica and is known for strong winds and rough seas. Rounding Cape Horn and crossing the Drake Passage qualified the crew for membership in the fraternity of Cape Horners. Cape Horners is a sailing term used for mariners who round Cape Horn by sea.

IASV Triveni and Port Calls

IASV Triveni is a 50-foot indigenously built sailing vessel of the Indian Army. The vessel completed port calls at Fremantle in Australia, Lyttelton in New Zealand, Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Cape Town in South Africa.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Gateway of India in Mumbai was built in 1924 and is a major harbour monument on the Arabian Sea coast.
• The Equator is the 0-degree latitude line and divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
• The International Date Line lies broadly near 180 degrees longitude and is used to determine calendar dates.
• Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in South America.

Tri-Service Jointness and Women Officers

Tri-service refers to the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force working in a single operational framework. The expedition involved nine women officers from the three services and was linked to military diplomacy through overseas port calls.