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Comparison of rank structure between Indian army and Indian paramilitary forces



The ranks in the Indian Army and Indian Paramilitary Forces (like the BSF, CRPF, ITBP, CISF, etc.) are structured differently but often have equivalent positions. Here's a comparison of ranks:


Comparison of Ranks: Indian Army vs Indian Paramilitary Forces

Indian Army Indian Paramilitary Forces Notes
Commissioned Officers Gazetted Officers
Lieutenant Assistant Commandant (AC) Entry-level officer rank
Captain Deputy Commandant (DC) Higher supervisory role
Major Second-in-Command (2IC) Deputy to Commandant
Lieutenant Colonel Commandant Commanding officer of a unit
Colonel Senior Commandant (in some forces) Senior supervisory rank
Brigadier Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Higher leadership role
Major General Inspector General (IG) Head of a zone or frontier
Lieutenant General Additional Director General (ADG) Senior leadership role
General Director General (DG) Top-most rank in paramilitary forces

Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) Subordinate Officers Notes
Naib Subedar Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) First-line supervisory role
Subedar Sub-Inspector (SI) Middle-level supervisory role
Subedar Major Inspector Senior supervisory position

Other Ranks (ORs) Non-Gazetted Ranks Notes
Sepoy Constable Entry-level rank
Lance Naik Head Constable Team leader role
Naik Head Constable Slightly senior to Lance Naik
Havildar Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Junior supervisory position

Key Corrections:

  1. Havildar vs Sub-Inspector:

    • Havildar in the Indian Army is equivalent to Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) in paramilitary forces, not Sub-Inspector (SI).
    • Sub-Inspector (SI) in paramilitary forces is equivalent to Subedar in the Indian Army.
  2. Naik and Lance Naik:

    • Both ranks in the Indian Army are typically equivalent to Head Constable in paramilitary forces, depending on the specific responsibilities.
  3. Junior Commissioned Officers:

    • These are supervisory ranks in both organizations but hold slightly different responsibilities due to the nature of military vs paramilitary operations.

Thank you for pointing this out. Let me know if you need further clarification!