'No Water, Food, Sleep For 40 Days': President Droupadi Murmu's Former ADC Major Rishabh Sambyal Speaks About Extreme Training

Being responsible for the safety and movements of the President of India is a job where missing even the smallest detail can matter. Former Aide-de-Camp (ADC) Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal recently offered a rare glimpse into the intense preparation that goes into building the alertness required for the role.

Speaking to podcaster Raj Shamani in an interview released on September 10, Sambyal opened up about his time as an ADC to President Droupadi Murmu and explained how officers are trained to remain observant even when physically exhausted.

'You’re deprived of water, food and sleep'

Sambyal described the training as a prolonged test of physical and mental endurance. “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 explained.

The purpose, as he described it, is not simply to test physical strength but to push officers into situations where maintaining awareness becomes difficult. The training is designed to build the ability to stay focused despite exhaustion and discomfort.

Sambyal also explained how officers' powers of observation are tested during the training. “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.

Major Rishabh Sambyal’s time as ADC

Sambyal served as President Droupadi Murmu’s ADC before taking premature retirement from the Army after around 12 years of service. His recent conversation came shortly after his retirement and covered his military career, Special Forces training and experience serving at the highest levels.

Meanwhile, Major Navya Shekhawat currently serves as an ADC to President Murmu, scripting history as the first woman officer from the Indian Army to hold the presidential ADC post.