Indian Army Ranks and Insignia: Officers, JCOs & NCOs
Indian Army Ranks: Indian Army has introduced various ranks and cadres for administrative efficiency. Candidates aspiring to join the Indian Army must be familiar with various positions and the rank hierarchy before applying for any post. Ranks in the Indian Army are broadly classified into three categories. These are Commissioned Officers (CO), Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO), and other ranks (Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers).
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The Indian military ranks are based on candidates’ qualifications, performance, and experience in a particular field. All the posts in the Commissioned Officers come under the Group A Service Officers. In comparison, posts in Junior Commissioned Officers come under the Group B Gazetted Officers. Read on to know about the Indian Army Officer ranks and salary, JCO ranks, how to join the Indian Army, and more.
Indian Army Ranks and Insignia
The Indian Army ranks reflect the ranks of western militaries, especially the British and Commonwealth militaries. At present, the Indian army ranks list is classified into three categories:
Commissioned Officers (CO)
Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO)
Other ranks (Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers)
Let us look at the ranks under each of these three categories.
Ranks in Indian Army: Commissioned Officers
The Commissioned Officers are equivalent to All India Services and Group A Service Officers. The different ranks for Commissioned Officers are as under:
Sl. No
Rank
1
Field Marshal
2
General
3
Lieutenant General
4
Major General
5
Brigadier
6
Colonel
7
Lieutenant Colonel
8
Major
9
Captain
10
Lieutenant
Insignia for Commissioned Officers
The insignia for the Commissioned Officers are shown in the image below:
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Indian Army Ranks List
The description for each of these insignia, as well as the collar patch for each of these ranks, are tabulated below:
Indian Army Ranks – Commissioned Officers
Insignia Description
Collar Patch
Field Marshal
National emblem over a crossed sword and baton in a lotus blossom wreath.
Crimson patches with five golden stars
General
National emblem over a five-pointed star, all over a crossed baton and sabre.
Crimson patches with four golden stars
Lieutenant General
National emblem over crossed baton and sabre.
Crimson patches with three golden stars
Major General
Five-pointed star over crossed baton and sabre.
Crimson patches with two golden stars
Brigadier
National emblem over three five-pointed stars in a triangular formation.
Crimson patches with one golden star
Colonel
National emblem over two five-pointed stars
Crimson patches with golden braids
Lieutenant Colonel
National emblem over five-pointed star.
–
Major
National emblem
–
Captain
Three five-pointed stars.
–
Lieutenant
Two five-pointed stars.
–
Note that the rank of Field Marshal is primarily ceremonial in India. To date, this rank has been conferred to only two officers of the Indian Army – Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and Field Marshal KM Cariappa.
The usual highest rank of the Indian Army is the rank of General, which is held by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS). New officers in the Indian Army are commissioned as Lieutenants, and after that, they get promoted to higher ranks in the order mentioned above.
JCO Ranks in Indian Army
The Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) of the Indian Army are equivalent to Group B Gazetted Officers. The different ranks for Junior Commissioned Officers are as under:
Sl. No
Rank
1
Subedar Major
2
Subedar
3
Naib Subedar
Insignia for Junior Commissioned Officers
The insignia for the Junior Commissioned Officers are shown in the image below:
The description of each of these insignia for each of these ranks is tabulated below:
Junior Commissioned OfficersRanks
Insignia Description
Subedar Major
Gold national emblem with stripe
Subedar
Two gold stars in one line with a stripe
Naik Subedar
One gold star with a stripe
Other Ranks in Indian Army
Other ranks in the Army include Non-Commissioned Officers and soldiers. They are authorised to wear Chevron as per the Corp Pattern or Regiment. Check the other different ranks below:
Sl. No
Rank
1
Company Quarter Master Havildar
2
Havildar
3
Naik
4
Lance Naik
5
Sepoy
Insignia for Other Ranks
The insignia for Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers of the Indian Army are shown in the image below:
The description of each of these insignia for each of these ranks is tabulated below:
Non-Commissioned Officer and Soldier Ranks
Insignia Description
CQMH
Three Strips and Ashoka Chakra on top
Havildar
Three rank chevrons
Naik
Two rank chevrons
Lance Naik
Single rank chevron
Sepoy
Plain shoulder badge only
How to Join the Indian Army?
There are several entry schemes available for both men and women to join the Indian Army.
Indian Army Entry Schemes for Men:
The entry schemes for men are given below:
Intermediate (10+2) – National Defence Academy (NDA) exam and 10+2 Technical Entry Scheme
Graduate UPSC – Indian Military Academy Direct (IMA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA) – Non-Technical
Graduate Non-UPSC – SSC (JAG) and SSC (NCC)
Graduate Technical Entries – University Entry Scheme (UES), TGC (Engineers), SSC (Technical) and AEC
Service Entries – ACC, PC (SL), and SCO
Miscellaneous Entries – Territorial Army (TA), RVC, AMC (NT), and APS
Indian Army Entry Schemes for Women:
The entry schemes for women are given below:
Graduate UPSC – SSCW (Non-Tech)
Graduate Non-UPSC – SSCW (NCC) and SSCW (JAG)
Graduate Tech Entries – SSCW (Technical)
Indian Ranks in the Army, Navy, and Airforce
Check the comparison of ranks of the Army, Navy, and Airforce in this section.
Indian Armed Forces: Ranks of Officers
Please find the ranks of the Indian Armed Forces Officers below:
Indian Army Ranks
Indian Navy Ranks
Indian Airforce Ranks
Field Marshal
Admiral of the Fleet
Marshal of Air Force
General
Admiral
Air Chief Marshal
Lieutenant General
Vice Admiral
Air Marshal
Major General
Rear Admiral
Air Vice Marshal
Brigadier
Commodore
Air Commodore
Colonel
Captain
Group Captain
Lieutenant Colonel
Commander
Wing Commander
Major
Lieutenant Commander
Squadron Leader
Captain
Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Lieutenant
Sub Lieutenant
Flying Officer
JCO Ranks in Indian Army & Other Ranks
Please find the JCO ranks below:
Indian Army Ranks
Indian Navy Ranks
Indian Airforce Ranks
Subedar Major
Master Chief Petty Officer I
Master Warrant Officer
Subedar
Master Chief Petty Officer II
Warrant Officer
Naib Subedar
Chief Petty Officer
Junior Warrant Officer
Havildar
Petty Officer
Sergeant
Naik
Leading Seaman
Corporal
Lance Naik
Seaman I
Leading Aircraftman
Sepoy
Seaman II
Aircraftman
Indian Army Ranks and Salary
Not all levels are recruited directly through the NDA or CDS exams. In reality, only a small number of people are hired directly, and the remainder is promoted following a training period. These levels are further classified as Non-Commissioned Officers, Junior Commissioned Officers, and Commissioned Officers.
Indian Army Salary: After the 7th Pay Commission
Please check the salaries of the Indian Army ranks below:
Rank/Pay Level
Salary (After 7th Pay Commission)
Chief of Army Staff (Level 18)
INR 2,50,000/- (Fixed)
VCOAS/Army Cdr/Lieutenant General (NEGS) (Level 17)
INR 2,25,000/- (Fixed)
Indian Army Lieutenant General Salary (Level 15)
INR 1,82,200/- – INR 2,24,100/-
Indian Army Major General Salary (Level 14)
INR 1,44,200/- – INR 2,18,200/-
Indian Army Brigadier Salary (Level 13 A)
INR 1,39,600/- – INR 2,17,600/-
Indian Army Colonel Salary (Level 13)
INR 1,30,600/- – INR 2,15,900/-
Indian Army Lieutenant Colonel Salary (Level 12)
INR 1,21,200/- – INR 2,12,400/-
Indian Army Major Salary (Level 11)
INR 69400/- – INR 2,07,200/-
Indian Army Captain Salary (Level 10 B)
INR 61,300/- – INR 1,93,900/-
Indian Army Lieutenant Salary (Level 10)
INR 56,100/- – INR 1,77,500/-
Indian Army Subedar Major Salary (Level 8)
INR 34,800/-
Indian Army Subedar Salary (Level 7)
INR 34,800/-
Indian Army Naib Subedar Salary (Level 6)
INR 34,800/-
Indian Army Havaldar Salary (Level 5)
INR 34,800/-
Indian Army Naik Salary (Level 4)
INR 20,200/-
Indian Army Lance Naik Salary (Level 3)
INR 20,200/-
Indian Army Sepoy Salary (Level 3)
INR 20,200/-
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Following are some of the frequently asked questions related to the Indian Army Ranking and Insignia:
Q.1: What are the different ranks of the Indian Army? A. In the Indian Army, the ranks are classified into three categories:
Commissioned Officers
Junior Commissioned Officers
Other Ranks (Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers)
Q2: What is the highest rank in the Indian Army? A. The highest rank in the Indian Army is the Field Marshal. However, this has been conferred only to two officers of the Indian Army – Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and Field Marshal KM Cariappa. The usual highest rank is the rank of General which is held by the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army (COAS).
Q.3: What is the lowest rank in the Indian Army? A. The lowest rank is the Sepoy in the Indian Army.
Q.4: Which is the first rank of commissioned officers in the Indian Army? A. Candidates who join the Indian Army as officers will be commissioned as Lieutenant.
Q.5: Which rank is given after NDA? A. For candidates joining the army through the NDA exam, they will be commissioned as Lieutenant after completion of training.
Candidates can check this page for Sarkari Naukri latest updates that will help them to know about the ongoing and upcoming Sarkari exam. Moreover, they can also check the Sarkari result to know their status of qualifying for the exam for which they have appeared. If you aspire to join the Indian Army, you must prepare in a serious manner. Embibe provides NDA mock tests for. These tests will be of great help in your Indian Army recruitment preparation.
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