Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal, the 4 Para Special Forces officer who became a nationwide social media sensation while serving as Aide-de-Camp to President Droupadi Murmu, has taken premature retirement from the Indian Army.
The former ADC met the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 21 August 2026 after formally leaving the post. Photographs from the meeting circulated widely, and Rashtrapati Bhavan’s official digital photo library listed him as the retired former ADC. In subsequent posts and videos, he described the visit as an opportunity to express gratitude for her guidance and blessings.
From Rajpath to Rashtrapati Bhavan
Sambyal first came to public notice in 2021 as a Captain in the Jat Regiment. He led the regiment’s contingent at the Republic Day Parade and won the Best Marching Contingent Trophy. He later volunteered for and completed the demanding selection for 4 Para (Special Forces), known as the “Daggers,” and earned the Balidaan Badge an honour achieved by only a small fraction of volunteers.
Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal hails from a Dogra Rajput family in Jammu with a military tradition. After three years at the National Defence Academy and one year at the Indian Military Academy, he served roughly eight years as a commissioned officer, describing a total of about 12 years associated with the organisation. He was selected as one of the President’s ADCs around 2024–2025, one of the most prestigious and discreet assignments in the armed forces. The role requires an officer to manage protocol, accompany the President at official events and travel, handle sensitive coordination, and remain constantly alert while remaining in the background.
Videos and photographs of him performing those duties holding an umbrella over the President in rain, offering a handkerchief during an emotional moment, assisting on temple steps, and maintaining impeccable bearing at state functions went viral. Social media users called him a “national crush” and posted comments such as “I want to be the President.” Fan pages proliferated even though, for much of his ADC tenure, he maintained a low personal social-media profile. His composure and the visible trust between him and the President became a talking point that humanised the ceremonial side of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Why he left?
In videos released after his departure (including an Instagram Live and follow-up clips that drew tens of thousands of views), Sambyal addressed questions from the public. He said wearing the uniform had been a childhood dream and that he had never imagined taking it off. “In everyone’s life there are situations and instances which change your life forever,” he explained. The decision was driven by personal and family reasons, and he said he had his family’s support. He added that he was happy with what he had achieved.
He stated there were no immediate marriage plans. “I will be here contributing to our nation together along with you,” he said. He has indicated that the next chapter will be announced in due course.
Context and implications
Premature retirement is available to Army officers after they complete the prescribed service (rules differ from the voluntary retirement schemes used in some other services). Sambyal’s case attracted unusual attention because of his visibility. His tenure as ADC ended a chapter that had already generated speculation about a possible return to operational Special Forces roles; instead he chose to leave service entirely.
The episode illustrates how social media can turn a protocol officer into a public figure while the officer himself remains bound by service norms of discretion. It also shows the personal trade-offs that even highly successful officers sometimes make. Sambyal has framed the move as the close of one chapter rather than a rejection of the values that defined it. Many who followed his videos have treated the retirement as a bittersweet moment pride in his service mixed with curiosity about what a Para SF officer and former presidential ADC will do next as a civilian speaker and leadership voice.
His own summary of the lesson from 12 years in uniform was simple: “Do not give up.” That line, more than the viral clips, is what many of his admirers say they will remember.
