Colonel (India)

Last updated
Colonel
Colonel of the Indian Army.svg
Rank insignia of a colonel of the Indian Army
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
Service branchFlag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army
AbbreviationCol
Rank Colonel
Next higher rank Brigadier
Next lower rank Lieutenant colonel
Equivalent ranks Captain (Indian Navy)
Group Captain (Indian Air Force)

Colonel is a rank in the Indian Army. Like other armies, this rank is higher than lieutenant colonel and lower than a brigadier. It is equivalent to captain in the Indian Navy and group captain in the Indian Air Force.

Contents

The Indian Army has followed the British Army rank system since India's independence from the British Empire in 1947. However, the St Edward's Crown in the rank insignia was replaced with the National Emblem of India, symbolising the sovereignty of the Government of India.

Appointments

Colonels in the Indian Army command battalion-sized units (infantry battalions, artillery regiments, armoured regiments). [1] Until the 1980s, battalions (and equivalents) were commanded by a lieutenant colonel. Colonels also serve as staff officers in divisions like Colonel General Staff (Col GS) and Colonel Administration (Col Adm). At Army headquarters, colonels hold the appointments of directors of directorates and branches.

Insignia

The badges of rank have two five-pointed stars and the National emblem above. [2] The gorget patches of a colonel consist of crimson patches with golden braids.

Pay scale

Colonels are at pay level 13, with a monthly pay between ₹130,600 and ₹215,900 with a monthly service pay of ₹15,500. This is the first selection-grade rank. The promotion to the rank can happen through selection or on time-scale basis. A minimum of 15 years of commissioned service is required for an officer to be considered in the selection grade. This is the highest rank which may be attained by officers on time-scale promotion if not promoted to colonel by selection after 26 years of commissioned service. [3] [4] [5]

Colonel of the regiment

The colonel of the regiment (COR) is a tradition and position that the Indian Army has inherited from the British Army, as have other armies of the commonwealth. The post of COR is an elected post. All officers including and above the rank of colonel vote as do all battalion commanding officers (CO). The vote of the COs represents the vote of their soldiers. The COR is a senior officer of the regiment, usually the senior-most, who is a father-figure to the regiment and looks after the interests of the regiment. Thus, they are usually general officers or brigadiers. On ceremonial occasions, the COR wears the rank badges of a colonel rather than their actual rank.

Famous colonels

See also

Related Research Articles

Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In other countries, it is a non-commissioned rank.

Listed in the table below are the insignia—emblems of authority—of the British Army. Badges for field officers were introduced in 1810 and the insignia was moved to the epaulettes in 1880. On ceremonial or parade uniforms these ranks continue to be worn on the epaulettes, either as cloth slides or as metal clips, although on the modern 'working dress' they are usually worn as a cloth slide on the chest. Although these insignia apply across the British Army there is variation in the precise design and colours used and it can take some time to become familiar with them all.

Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) is a term used for a group of military ranks which is higher than havildar and lower than lieutenant. The term is only used by Nepal, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Senior havildars are promoted to JCO rank on the basis of merit and seniority, restricted by the number of vacancies. JCOs are treated as a separate class and hold additional privileges. Primarily the term was associated with armies but since the 2000s India and Pakistan's navies and air forces are using the term to indicate their Chief Petty Officers and Warrant Officers.

The Indian Army, the land component of the Indian Armed Forces, follows a certain hierarchy of rank designations and insignia derived from the erstwhile British Indian Army (BIA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorget patches</span> Type of military insignia

Gorget patches are an insignia in the form of paired patches of cloth or metal on the collar of a uniform (gorget), used in the military and civil service in some countries. Collar tabs sign the military rank, the rank of civil service, the military unit, the office (department) or the branch of the armed forces and the arm of service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Captain (Indian Navy)</span>

Captain is a rank in the Indian Navy. Captain ranks above the rank of Commander and lower than a Commodore. It is equivalent to colonel in the Indian Army and group captain in the Indian Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Officers Training Academy</span> Governmental Academy for the training and commissioning of Indian Armys officers

The Officers Training Academy (OTA) is a training establishment of the Indian Army that trains officers for the Short Service Commission (SSC). The 49-week course at the OTA prepares graduates for all branches of the Army, except for the Army Medical Corps. Established in 1963, the first academy is located in Alandur, a southern neighbourhood of Chennai. OTA chennai has an impressive tally of gallantry award including 1 Param Vir Chakra, 8 Ashoka Chakra, 10 Maha Vir Chakra, 22 Kirti Chakra, 63 Vir Chakra, 119 Shaurya Chakra and 587 Sena Medal earned by the officers commissioned from this academy bears testimony to the Valour and dedication displayed by the Alumni. A new academy was set up at Gaya in 2011; but was given the go-ahead in December 2019 to be disbanded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General (India)</span> Rank in the Indian Army

General is a four-star general officer rank in the Indian Army. It is the highest active rank in the Indian Army. General ranks above the three-star rank of lieutenant general and below the five-star rank of field marshal, which is largely a war-time or ceremonial rank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Admiral (India)</span> Rank in Indian navy

Admiral is a four-star naval flag officer rank in the Indian Navy. It is the highest active rank in the Indian Navy. Admiral ranks above the three-star rank of vice admiral and below the five-star rank of admiral of the fleet, which has never been awarded or held.

Air chief marshal is a four-star air officer rank in the Indian Air Force. It is the highest active rank in the Indian Air Force. Air chief marshal ranks above the three-star rank of air marshal and below the five-star rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force, which is largely a war-time or ceremonial rank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air marshal (India)</span>

Air marshal is a three-star air officer rank in the Indian Air Force. It is the second-highest active rank in the Indian Air Force. Air marshal ranks above the two-star rank of air vice marshal and below the four-star rank of air chief marshal, which is held by the Chief of the Air Staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vice admiral (India)</span>

Vice admiral is a three-star flag officer rank in the Indian Navy. It is the second-highest active rank in the Indian Navy. Vice admiral ranks above the two-star rank of rear admiral and below the four-star rank of admiral, which is held by the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lieutenant general (India)</span> Three-star general officer rank in the Indian Army

Lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank in the Indian Army. It is the second-highest active rank in the Indian Army. Lieutenant generals rank above the two-star rank of Major General and below the four-star rank of General, which is held by the Chief of the Army Staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rear admiral (India)</span>

Rear admiral is a two-star flag officer rank in the Indian Navy. It is the third-highest active rank in the Indian Navy. Rear admiral ranks above the one-star rank of commodore and below the three-star rank of vice admiral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air vice marshal (India)</span>

Air vice marshal is a two-star air officer rank in the Indian Air Force. It is the third-highest active rank in the Indian Air Force. Air vice marshal ranks above the one-star rank of air commodore and below the three-star rank of air marshal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major general (India)</span> General officer rank in the Indian Army

Major general is a two-star general officer rank in the Indian Army. It is the third-highest active rank in the Indian Army. A major general ranks above the one-star rank of brigadier and below the three-star rank of lieutenant general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commodore (India)</span>

Commodore is a one-star rank in the Indian Navy. Commodore ranks above the rank of captain and below the two-star rank of rear admiral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brigadier (India)</span> Indian Army rank

Brigadier is a one-star rank in the Indian Army. Brigadier ranks above the rank of Colonel and below the two-star rank of Major General.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air commodore (India)</span> One-star rank in the Indian Air Force

Air Commodore is a One-star rank in the Indian Air Force. Air Commodore ranks above the rank of Group Captain and below the two-star rank of air vice marshal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Group captain (India)</span> Indian Air Force rank

Group Captain is a rank in the Indian Air Force. Group Captain ranks above the rank of Wing commander and lower than an Air Commodore. It is equivalent to colonel in the Indian Army and captain in the Indian Navy.

References

  1. "Organisation of Indian Army". indianarmy.nic.in. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  2. "The Official Home Page of the Indian Army". www.indianarmy.nic.in.
  3. "Government of India: Report of the Seventh Central Pay Commission" (PDF). 20 November 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2015.
  4. DelhiJune 29, India Today Web Desk New; June 29, India Today Web Desk New; Ist, India Today Web Desk New. "7th Pay Commission cleared: What is the Pay Commission? How does it affect salaries?". India Today.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. "Pay Scale of Officers - Join Indian Navy | Government of India". www.joinindiannavy.gov.in.