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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

JCO Ranks in Indian Army & Other Ranks

Please find the JCO ranks below:

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:

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Candidates can also check:

FAQs on Indian Army Ranks 2022

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.

We hope that we have managed to provide you with all the necessary details on the Indian Army Ranks. Feel to check our website or download our app if you have any queries. We will be happy to help you out.

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