7 hrs ago
Former Presidential ADC Describes Marriage Rule and Service Sacrifice
Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal was a soldier who worked closely with President Droupadi Murmu.
His job as an aide-de-camp required him to be ready whenever the President needed help.
He said ADCs cannot get married during their assignment and must stay away from their families.
This meant he could not live like an ordinary person or enjoy much personal freedom.
He said the job sometimes made him lonely.
He also said he used that quiet time to think about himself and his life.
A report said the marriage rule is voluntary because officers learn about it before accepting the position.
ADCs receive difficult training and must stay alert because they help protect the President.
Sambyal later retired from the Army to fulfill responsibilities to his family.
Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal said ADCs face a restriction on marriage and must stay away from their families during the assignment.
Sambyal served nearly three years as an aide-de-camp to President Droupadi Murmu before retiring from the Indian Army at age 30.
He described loneliness and limited personal freedom as major costs of serving the President.
A 2026 Indian Express report said the marriage requirement is voluntary and disclosed before appointment, allowing officers to opt out.
Presidential ADCs undergo rigorous training, remain available around the clock and help protect the President during official engagements.
- Who
- Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal, a retired Indian Army Special Forces officer and former aide-de-camp to President Droupadi Murmu.
- What
- He discussed the marriage restriction, family separation, loneliness, training and responsibilities associated with serving as a presidential ADC.
- Where
- The assignment was carried out as part of the President of India's military staff, with ADCs staying in a duty room at the President's House.
- When
- Sambyal served as an ADC for nearly three years and retired from the Indian Army at age 30 after 12 years of service; one article was published on September 22, 2026.
- Why
- Sambyal said he retired to fulfill responsibilities and commitments to his family; a cited report said the marriage requirement is intended to keep ADCs focused and available around the clock.
Purpose and Readiness
Personal Cost and Choice
Marriage requirement
Purpose and Readiness
The reported purpose of the requirement is to help ADCs remain focused on the President's needs and available around the clock.
Personal Cost and Choice
Sambyal described giving up marriage and family life as the biggest sacrifice, while the cited report said officers can opt out before accepting the appointment.
Loneliness and adjustment
Purpose and Readiness
Sambyal said loneliness can become a positive period for self-evaluation, and the psychologist cited said purpose can help people tolerate emotional costs.
Personal Cost and Choice
Sambyal acknowledged that the assignment limits normal personal life; the psychologist cautioned that acceptance should not deny, romanticize or force positivity about difficult emotions.
Retirement and family duty
Purpose and Readiness
Sambyal said leaving the Army enabled him to meet responsibilities and commitments to his family.
Personal Cost and Choice
His decision also highlights the personal limits of a role involving prolonged separation, restricted personal choices and constant availability.
Key facts
- Former ADC
- Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal served as an aide-de-camp to President Droupadi Murmu for nearly three years.
- Marriage requirement
- Sambyal said ADCs cannot marry during their tenure and must stay away from their families.
- Reported rule status
- A 2026 Indian Express report described the requirement as voluntary and known to officers before appointment.
- Retirement
- Sambyal retired from the Indian Army at age 30 after 12 years of service.
- Reason for retirement
- He cited responsibilities as a son and commitments to the people who brought him into life.
- ADC structure
- The President has five ADCs: three from the Army, one from the Navy and one from the Air Force.
- Training and readiness
- ADC training can involve going sleepless for days and identifying objects while running; officers must remain alert during the President's meetings.
Quotes
Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal
Former Indian Army Special Forces officer and former ADC to President Droupadi Murmu
“I am not married. So there is a clause for the ADCs that they can’t get married… they have to stay away from the family, and I think this is the biggest sacrifice, “I can’t go out as a normal human being and enjoy life, “Yes, I do get lonely, but I turn that loneliness into a positive thing.”
indianexpress.com
news18.com
“I have some responsibilities. I have left this for the people who brought me into this life. I have a responsibility as a son, there are some commitments and I have to fulfill them.”
NDTV
Dr Rimpa Sarkar
Clinical psychologist and founder of Sentier Wellness in Mumbai
“The goal is not to romanticise sacrifice, but to make sure that the person continues to have agency, connection, purpose and permission to acknowledge the emotional cost of their choice”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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