Rashtrapati Bhavan to host a wedding for the first time ever

For the first time ever, Rashtrapati Bhavan will host a wedding. CRPF Assistant Commandant Poonam Gupta, who is presently assigned as a Personal Security Officer (PSO) at the President’s residence, is set to wed fellow CRPF officer Avnish Kumar on February 12, 2025. The event will occur at the Mother Teresa Crown Complex, attended solely by immediate family under tight security protocols

The location has welcomed many prominent international officials throughout the years. Nevertheless, a wedding on its grounds had never been allowed—until this moment. Initial reports dismissed the news as mere speculation; however, media outlets later verified that President Droupadi Murmu had given special authorization for Poonam Gupta’s wedding in acknowledgment of her commitment and professionalism in service.

Poonam Gupta achieved national fame by leading the all-female contingent in the 74th Republic Day Parade. Prior to her current assignment at Rashtrapati Bhavan, she worked in a Naxal-impacted area of Bihar.

Gupta, a distinguished scholar, possesses a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, a master’s in English Literature, and a B.Ed. from Jiwaji University in Gwalior. She became an Assistant Commandant in the CRPF after achieving the 81st position in the UPSC CAPF examination in 2018.

Her fiancé, Avnish Kumar, serves as an Assistant Commandant in the CRPF and is currently based in Jammu & Kashmir. Their wedding at Rashtrapati Bhavan is planned to be a private event, with only their close families in attendance.

President Droupadi Murmu personally endorsed Gupta’s appeal to celebrate her wedding at Rashtrapati Bhavan, reportedly in acknowledgment of her exceptional service and unwavering code of conduct. This choice has generated considerable attention, as many are wondering how such a unique exception occurred for the first time in the history of the presidential estate.