Dehradun, Feb. 4 -- The Uttarakhand government has opened 83 major Himalayan peaks across its Garhwal and Kumaon regions to mountaineering expeditions, waiving fees for Indians and cutting costs for foreigners, officials said. The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), in coordination with the Forest Department, has fully opened the peaks on the directions of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, aiming to position Uttarakhand as a prominent destination on the global mountaineering map, officials added. According to officials, the newly opened peaks range from 5,700 metres to 7,756 metres in height and include renowned and technically challenging summits such as Kamet (7,756 m), Nanda Devi East, the Chaukhamba group, Trishul group, Shivling, Satopanth, Changabang, Panchachuli, Neelkanth and Nilkanth group peaks. These mountains are internationally known for their difficult terrain, technical climbing routes and scenic grandeur, and symbolise the Himalayan landscape. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the initiative marks a historic step for the state's adventure tourism sector. "The Himalayas are our identity, our heritage and our strength. Opening 83 major peaks for mountaineering is a historic step towards giving global recognition to adventure tourism in Uttarakhand," he said. "The objective is to encourage the country's youth to take up adventurous fields like mountaineering, generate employment for local communities and ensure balanced development along with environmental conservation. The state government is fully committed to safe, responsible and sustainable mountaineering," he added. Officials said that for these 83 notified peaks, Indian mountaineers will no longer have to pay any expedition-related fees, including peak fees, camping charges and environmental fees. Earlier, these charges were levied by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) and the Forest Department. The state government will now bear these costs, a move expected to benefit young climbers and aspirants constrained by financial barriers. In a parallel decision to promote international expeditions, the additional state-level fees earlier imposed on foreign mountaineers have been abolished. Foreign climbers will now only be required to pay the fees prescribed by the IMF, enhancing Uttarakhand's global appeal, officials said. To streamline the process, all expedition applications will now be routed through the Uttarakhand Mountaineering Permission System (UKMPS), a fully digital online portal. Officials said the system is transparent, time-bound and designed to eliminate delays and procedural bottlenecks. The move is expected to have a significant socio-economic impact in border and remote villages, increasing tourism activities and creating livelihood opportunities for locals as guides, porters, homestay operators, transport providers and service workers. This will help curb migration and strengthen the rural economy, officials said....