Rashtrapati Bhavan is set to host a wedding for the first time in its history. CRPF Assistant Commandant Poonam Gupta, currently serving as a Personal Security Officer (PSO) at the President’s residence, will marry fellow CRPF officer Avnish Kumar on February 12, 2025. The ceremony will take place at the Mother Teresa Crown Complex, with only close family members in attendance under strict security measures.
Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of India’s President, is among the country's most significant architectural landmarks. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the sprawling estate covers 300 acres, with the main building extending over 200,000 square feet and housing 340 rooms across four floors. It is the second-largest residence of any head of state worldwide, after Italy’s Quirinal Palace.
The venue has hosted numerous high-profile international dignitaries over the years. However, a wedding within its premises had never been permitted—until now. Reports initially dismissed the news as speculation, but media sources later confirmed that President Droupadi Murmu had granted special approval for Poonam Gupta’s wedding in recognition of her dedication and professionalism in service.
Poonam Gupta gained national recognition when she led the all-women contingent at the 74th Republic Day Parade. Before her current posting at Rashtrapati Bhavan, she served in a Naxal-affected region of Bihar.
Gupta, an accomplished academic, holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, a master’s in English Literature, and a B.Ed. from Jiwaji University, Gwalior. She joined the CRPF as an Assistant Commandant after securing the 81st rank in the UPSC CAPF examination in 2018.
Her fiancé, Avnish Kumar, is also an Assistant Commandant in the CRPF, stationed in Jammu & Kashmir. Their wedding at Rashtrapati Bhavan is set to be an intimate affair, attended only by their immediate families.
President Droupadi Murmu personally approved Gupta’s request to hold her wedding at Rashtrapati Bhavan, reportedly in recognition of her outstanding service and strict code of conduct. This decision has sparked widespread interest, with many questioning how such an exception was made for the first time in the history of the presidential estate.
Gupta is an active presence on social media, particularly Instagram, where she shares insights into her work and motivational messages for students. Whether she will be permitted to share wedding photos from Rashtrapati Bhavan remains to be seen.
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