India Military Ranks
v. 2.0 April 28, 2002
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Mr. Rupak Chatthopadhya and Bharat Rakshak.
Indian military ranks are patterned on the British system. India has given the Field Marshal's baton twice since it became independent in 1947; there has been no Admiral of the Fleet or Marshal of the Air Force. Please note that the Indian cavalry uses traditional ranks. For example, the lowest Army enlisted rank is sepoy, but the equivalent rank in the cavalry is sowar.
Please note the Indian Army has eliminated the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. An important difference between the Indian and other armies is that officers do not command platoons - Naib Subedars, who are Junior Commissioned Officers do. Prior to 1965, the rank of Naib Subedar was known as Jemedar.
In the Indian Army, a unit commander appoints two other ranks: Company Havaldar Major and Regimental Havaldar Major. These are senior sergeant ranks. For the supply services, the equivalents are Company Quartermaster Havaldar and Regimental Quartermaster Havaldar. Cavalry units use the term Daffadar instead of Havaldar.
The Indian Air Force now gives the rank of Pilot Officer only to Stage II trainees. They advance to Flying Officer in Stage III training, and commission into their squadrons with the same rank.
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the world's second largest army in terms of military personnel. The basic responsibility of the Army is to safeguard the territorial integrity of the nation against external aggressio. In addition, the Army is often required to assist the civil administration during internal security disturbances and in the mainntenance of law and order, in organising relief operations during natural calamities like floods, earthquakes and cyclones and in the maintenance of essential services. The Indian Army is one of the finest armies in the world. Modernisation and upgradation of Army is a continuous process to keep Armed Forces ready to meet any challenge of tomorrow. It is based on fiver years plans. Focus and core areas of modernisation has been:-
- Improvement in the Fire Power and increased Mobiliy
- All Weather Battle Field Surveillance capability
- Night Fighting capabilities
- Enhace capability of Special Force
- Capability for Network Centric Warfare
- NBC Protection
It is head by Chief of the Army Staff and assisted by the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff and seven other Principal Staff Officers, namely, two Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Ajutant General, Quarter Master General, Master General of Ordinance, Military Secretary and Engineer-in-Chief. The army has following commands
