No touching feet, 1 km area sanitised: How safety of President Droupadi Murmu is ensured, revealed by ex-Aide-de-Camp

President Droupadi Murmu's ex- Aide-de-Camp (ADC) Rishabh Singh Sambyal talked about his daily responsibilities to ensure her safety. He also shared how ADCs train themselves to become more alert.

Several security protocols are maintained when it comes to the safety of the President of India. Talking about it, President Droupadi Murmu's ex-Aide-de-Camp (ADC) Rishabh Singh Sambyal opened up about the gruelling training that one has to go through to prepare oneself. Sambyal recently announced his premature retirement after serving 12 years in the armed forces.

Rishabh Singh Sambyal appeared in an episode of Raj Shamani's podcast recently. In the show, he opened up about rules and responsibilities as the ADC to ensure the safety of the President.

Why no one is allowed to shake hands or touch feet of President

The ex-ADC shared why no one is allowed to touch the feet of the President or shake their hands. "You don't know the intentions of the individual," said Sambyal. He added, "How can you trust the person who is on the other side?" He went on to share that he was even concerned about the glass from which she would have water. "You don't know who has kept it there. You don't know if something is there..."

He explained that up to a 1 km area around the President is kept sanitised, which means no arms, metal, and other dangerous materials.

How ADCs train themselves

When asked whether he and other ADCs train themselves to become more alert, Sambyal shared how they do it. “During a probation, so you're roughly carrying around 80 to 70 kgs on yourself. You're deprived of water, you're deprived of food, and you're deprived of sleep for 30 to 40 days,” he said.

“And then, you are made to take a walk, roughly around a kilometre in a circular route. While you're doing this, in between random places, there are things kept, say for example, we keep a helmet behind a tree, and when that finishes, there's a test: what did you observe? That is how we train,” he added.

Everyday responsibilities

Rishabh Sambyal also explained his everyday duties as the closest person to the President. “Everything. I would say presidential requirements, which can be official or unofficial. So we look after everything. Say, for example, the President wishes to speak to the Prime Minister. She will call us, tell us that she wants to speak to the Prime Minister. So we will call up their people, I will speak to the Prime Minister, he is there…then she speaks," he explained.

Bond between President Murmu and ADCs

During the conversation, Sambyal also discussed his bond with the President. He shared that meeting President Droupadi Murmu for the first time felt like "my mother was standing in front of me."

"Since 2014, I've never lived with my mom. I always used to go back home for a couple of days, live with her and then again bye-bye for the next six or seven months, and then see her after six months.”

The former ADC spent three years with the president. “The nature she has was very homely. And I just built a connection. And the warmth which she showed upon us, to me and to all the ADCs, was wonderful. And it used to make me miss my mom,” he added.

Currently, Major Navya Shekhawat serves as an Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to President Droupadi Murmu, becoming the first-ever woman officer to hold the rank.

About the Author

Sneha Biswas specialises in covering entertainment and pop culture, with a specialisation on Bollywood, Hollywood, OTT platforms, K-pop, K-dramas, and major developments in the US entertainment industry. She believes in telling stories that balance speed with substance, and in making entertainment journalism contextual, culturally aware, and reader-first rather than purely reactive.<br><br> With over six years of experience in digital media, Sneha currently serves as a Deputy Chief Content Producer at Live Mint. She has spent more than three and a half years with the HT Group and returned to the organisation in February 2025, joining Live Mint to uplift the entertainment section. Over the past year, she has been closely involved in entertainment coverage including breaking news, explainers, trend reporting, box office reports and analysis for the audience.<br><br> Sneha is Google News certified, having completed training focused on newsroom best practices, digital reporting, and SEO-driven content strategies. Her work reflects a strong understanding of audience behaviour, search trends, and the evolving consumption patterns of entertainment news across formats.<br><br> Prior to her current role, Sneha has worked across multiple content and editorial functions within digital newsrooms, building expertise in content planning, editing, and real-time coverage. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of entertainment, internet culture, and global pop trends.<br><br> Working for the National city team, Biswas closely follows global entertainment movements while maintaining a strong pulse on what is happening in India.

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