Proud to carry on legacy to serve nation, says Mrigu Sambyal
May 31, 2025
JAMMU: "What I can do wearing uniform for my nation has been the primary inspiration behind my decision to join defence services and I'm swelling with pride that I will be able to carry my legacy to serve the nation in uniform."
With resolute determination in her voice, this was the assertion of Mrigu Sambyal who has scored All India Rank (AIR) 2 (women) in the Combined Defence Services (CDS)-2024 exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and made not just Jammu but entire J&K proud.
Daughter of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Jatinder Singh Sambyal, Mrigu states that patriotic fervour was intrinsic to her persona since her childhood.
"I've always been interested in defence, security, geo-political, foreign policy issues. Patriotism runs in my veins. Since my childhood, I used to experience goosebumps while listening to patriotic songs. I capitalised on those sentiments," she says, while interacting with media at her residence in Sainik Colony in Jammu outskirts.
Passion for "uniform" has been in her family as she explains, "My father is a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Jammu and Kashmir Police. My Grandfather was in the Indian Army. Though I could never see him in the uniform yet those values remained with me forever. He used to narrate his 1971 war stories."
"My grand-father also served in high altitude areas. He would narrate stories related to the avalanche and I would find that very inspiring as well as exciting. One such story related to his personal experience when he survived an avalanche while serving in Himachal Pradesh," Mrigu recalls.
Her great grandfather too served in Maharaja Hari Singh's Army. "Besides my father's maternal grand-father served in the Army during British India. His picture is still there in the Indian Military Academy (IMA). Uniform does inspire me but primary attraction is the kind of work you do in service to the nation while wearing it and that is a major attraction for me," she says.
With regard to her achievement, she asserts that she will not waste this hard-earned opportunity. With regard to her schedule, Mrigu shares, "I experimented with my schedules. Besides working out for one hour in the morning, I used to study in three shifts. I was focussed. I did not take any break."
