No more uniform for ‘national crush’; Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal leaves force

NEW DELHI: Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal, who gained attention on social media while serving as the ADC (Aide-de-Camp) to President Droupadi Murmu, has voluntarily retired from the Indian Army. He retired from service after 12 years of military service.

Major Sambyal went viral on social media after he started appearing regularly alongside President Droupadi Murmu at official events and during foreign visits. He has a large fan following his military discipline and confident behaviour. Several fan pages were also created in his name after he became a social media sensation. It was following this that he earned the nickname ‘national crush’.

Major Rishabh Singh was born into a family with a military tradition in Jammu. He joined the army after undergoing training at the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. He also gained attention when he led the Jat Regiment contingent at the Republic Day Parade in 2021.

Rishabh Sambyal was appointed as President Droupadi Murmu’s ADC during 2024-25. His photos and videos of him accompanying the President at official engagements were widely circulated on social media. Visuals of him holding an umbrella for the President in the rain and assisting her during certain emotional moments also drew considerable attention.

With this, he became a familiar face to the public, rather than being known merely as a military officer. Numerous comments appeared under photographs of the two together, stating that President Droupadi Murmu considered him like her own son, while Rishabh Sambyal cared for Murmu as his own mother.

Why did Rishabh Singh Sambyal leave force?

Sambyal said the decision to leave force was due to personal and family reasons. He said wearing the military uniform had been his childhood dream, and he had never imagined that he would have to leave it so early.

He said certain circumstances in life will force us to take vital decisions and that he had the full support of his family. He also expressed satisfaction with the achievements he had made during his military career. Sambyal hinted that he would soon announce the next chapter of his life after retirement. He also made it clear that he has no plans to get married anytime soon. He said that in future he wants to continue serving the country in a different manner.

After ending his military service, he visited Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 21 and met President Droupadi Murmu. Photos from his meeting with the President later went viral on social media.