Police ranks and insignia of India

A display of the various ranks of the Indian police and their respective uniform at the National Police Memorial and Museum in New Delhi.

Police services in India comprises the Indian Police Service (IPS), DANIPS, and Pondicherry Police Service recruited by the central government, along with various State Police Services (SPS) recruited by state governments. As policing is a state subject, the structure and organisation of police forces vary across states. In most state police forces, ranks below Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) are considered subordinates, while DSP and above are supervisory ranks. ^[1] These officers are organised in a structured hierarchical order.

Ranks of law enforcement in India

The ranks, posts, and designations of all police officers vary from state to state as police and law and order is a state matter. But, generally the following pattern is observed: ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Gazetted officers

Indian Police Service gazetted officers rank insignia ^{[5] [6] [7]}

Insignia

Rank

Director General of Police

Additional Director General of Police [a]

Inspector General of Police

Deputy Inspector General of Police

Superintendent of Police (Selection Grade) [b]

Superintendent of Police

Additional superintendent of police

Assistant Superintendent of Police

Assistant superintendent of police (probationary for two years)

Assistant Superintendent of Police (Probationary for one year)

Abbreviation

DGP

ADGP

IGP

DIGP

SP (SG)

SP

Addl.SP

ASP

ASP

ASP

Note 2: The equivalent rank to the ASP in State Police Services is the deputy superintendent of police (DSP/DySP). Note 3: The commissioner of police is a post typically held by DIG and above rank officers.

State Police Services rank insignia ^[8]

Insignia

Rank

Superintendent of police [c]

Additional superintendent of police [d]

Deputy superintendent of police [e]

Abbreviation

SP

Addl.SP

DSP/Dy.SP

Note: Gazetted officers in State Police Services (SPS) begins from DSP and above. [9] In the Indian Police Service (IPS), rank starts from Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), which is equivalent to DSP in state services.

Indian Police non-gazetted officers rank insignia ^{[10] [11]}

Insignia

No insignia

Rank

Inspector [f]

Assistant inspector [g]

Sub-inspector

Assistant sub-inspector

Head constable [h]

Senior Constable [i]

Police constable

Abbreviation

INSP/PI

API

SI

ASI

HC

SC

PC

Colour pattern and size of chevrons may vary according to the different rules of several distinct Indian State Police services.

State/UT Armed Police Cadre

• Leadership positions of State Armed Police are typically held by officers from the Indian Police Service (IPS) cadre. Their hierarchy includes DIG, IGP, ADGP, and DGP – same as in civil police
• Rank titles and designations vary across Indian states. The rank of '''Lance Naik''' is **not present in all states** and may be found only in select armed battalions or paramilitary-pattern forces.

State Armed Police Rank Structure

Gazetted Officers
Commandant	Deputy Commandant / Second-In Command	Assistant Commandant / Company Commander
Equivalent: Superintendent of Police	Equivalent: Additional Superintendent of Police	Equivalent: Deputy superintendent
Non-Gazetted Officers (NCOs) and Enlisted Ranks
Inspector (Armed) / Platoon Commander	Sub-Inspector (Armed) / Section Commander	Assistant Sub-Inspector (Armed)	Head Constable / Havildar	Lance Naik/Naik (Intermediate rank)
Equivalent: Inspector	Equivalent: Sub-Inspector	Equivalent: Assistant Sub-Inspector	Equivalent: Head Constable	Equivalent: None (intermediate post; varies by state)
Armed Police Constable / Sepoy / Rifleman No insignia

Organisational structure and roles

Overview

Law enforcement in India is a state matter. Hence, policing structure varies from state to state. But there is a general structure observed.

Flags (top photo) & Stars (bottom photo) on official cars of senior IPS officers, as per their rank.

Ministry of Home Affairs

The Ministry of Home Affairs is in overall charge of internal as well as external security and policing, and is the controlling authority for the Indian Police Service (IPS). The Home Secretary, the administrative head of the MHA, is an IAS officer in the rank of Secretary to Government of India.

The Indian Police Service is not a law enforcement organisation, but a professional body of police officers. Police officers may enter the IPS by two different routes:

• Regular recruits. IPS candidates may apply at the central level by taking the national exam administered by the Union Public Service Commission; if successful, they are given the probationary rank of assistant superintendent and receive further training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. After completion of their training, officers still hold the rank of assistant superintendent and wear three silver stars as insignia for a year before being promoted to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police and sent to the cadre which is allotted to them after training in the academy.
• State-level selection. Candidates may take a state-level examination for State Police Service (SPS) gazetted officers; examinations are administered by the individual State Public Service Commissions. Successful candidates are gazetted with the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police and become members of their state police cadre. After a period of satisfactory service, state police service officers may be nominated to join the IPS at this rank or, if they receive further promotions, at the rank of Superintendent of Police. When State Police Service officers get promoted to IPS, their rank does not change. Generally, State Police Officers are paid more at the same rank when compared to their IPS counterparts, but IPS officers get promoted in less amount of time when compared to their SPS counterparts. When an SPS officer is promoted to an IPS officer, the salary usually decreases as the IPS counterpart holding a rank like SP normally gets less salary than his/her SPS counterpart.

State's Home Department

The Home Department of each respective state is primarily tasked with policy and administration related to law and order, police, internal security, prisons, and prosecution, among other responsibilities. The department is headed by an Additional Chief Secretary or Principal Secretary to the Government. It oversees the maintenance of law and order, the prevention and control of crime, the prosecution of criminals, and also deals with fire services and prison administration. The state police forces function under this department, playing a vital role in enforcing laws, ensuring public safety, and maintaining order within the state's jurisdiction.

State forces and their structure

Each state police force is headed by an IPS officer in the rank of Director General of Police (DGP). The head of a state police force has the designation of Director General of Police or Director General and Inspector General of Police, and is assisted by one to several Additional or Special DGPs. Each Additional/Special DGP is responsible for a bureau within the state police (Law & Order, Crime, Administration, Intelligence, Armed Police, Traffic Police, etc.). ^{[12] [13] [14]} Some large state police forces, such as the Maharashtra Police, Tamil Nadu Police and Uttar Pradesh Police are generally divided into zones, ranges and commissionerates. However, even some large police forces such as Bihar Police don't have Police Commissionerates. Smaller state police forces, such as the Andaman and Nicobar Police or the Arunachal Pradesh Police, are typically only divided into ranges; however, this system of divisions can vary from force to force. ^{[12] [13] [14] [15]} Each zone is headed by an officer in the rank of Additional DGP or Inspector General of Police (IGP). Each zone comprises two or more ranges, headed by an officer in the rank of Inspector General of Police (IGP) or Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG). Each range comprises several police districts, headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP).

Commissionerates generally encompass major cities that are so designated, such as Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad etc. Each commissionerate has its own individual police force headed by an IPS officer with the designation of Commissioner of Police (CP). The organizational structure of a police commissionerate varies depending on factors such as the size and importance of the city, the rank of the Commissioner, and the complexity of law and order in the region. Larger metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, etc generally have a more elaborate structure headed by an officer of the rank of Director General (DG) or Additional Director General (ADG) or Inspector General (IG), while smaller cities may have a Commissioner of Police of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) rank. The commissionerate system typically includes a hierarchy comprising the Commissioner of Police, followed by Special Commissioners (where applicable), Joint Commissioners (where applicable), Additional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, and Assistant Commissioners of Police, supported by Inspectors, Sub-Inspectors, Assistant Sub-Inspectors, and Constables. The Commissioner of Police is empowered with the powers of an executive magistrate and functions as such. The Commissioner of Police is assisted by one to several Joint Commissioners of Police, who usually hold the rank of IGP (or Deputy IGP). ^{[16] [13]} Each is in charge of a bureau (Law and Order, Crime, Traffic etc.), mirroring the organisation of the state police as a whole. Below the JCPs, the organisation is typically as follows:

• Division: headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in the rank of SP.
• Sub Division: headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in the rank of Deputy SP/Assistant SP.
• Police Station: headed by an Inspector of Police. ^{[17] [13]}

The general organisation outside commissionerates is as follows:

• Zone: Headed by an IPS officer in the rank of ADG or IGP
• Range: Headed by an IPS officer in the rank of IG or DIG
• District: Headed by a Senior Superintendent or a Superintendent of Police (SP).
• Area: Headed by a Superintendent of Police, generally having a lower grade pay than the district head if the district head is an SSP.
• Sub Division: A sub division is headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy SP or Assistant SP. Which is called as SDPO (Sub Divisional Police Officer). In Uttarpradesh and Rajasthan, the officer incharge of a police Sub-division is known as Circle Officer (CO), and who has the rank of deputy superintendent of police (DSP).
  • Police Circle: In some states, such as Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, etc., there are a few circles within the sub-division. A police circle consists of two or more police stations. Typically, an Inspector takes charge of the Circle and is known as the Circle Inspector (CI). Circle Inspector supervises the police stations under their circle. The Circle Inspector reports to the SDPO.
• Police station: Commanded by a non-gazetted police officer. In a city, typically an Inspector is in charge of one police station. In rural areas, a Sub-Inspector may be the officer in charge of the police station. They are posted as Station House Officer (SHO) and Station Officer, respectively. The Inspector or Sub-Inspector commands several Sub-Inspectors (SIs), Assistant Sub-Inspectors, and other lower-ranked officials.

However, District Superintendents or Senior Superintendents of Police are not empowered with the powers of an executive magistrate, in Districts these powers, like promulgating Section 144, granting arms licenses, are exercised by the District Magistrate/Collector, who is an IAS officer.

Sub-inspectors (PSIs), the first police officers who may file a charge sheet, often command police stations in rural districts or police outposts or substations; in cities, they operate out of a police station and administer beats (chowkies). Sub-inspectors are assisted by assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs), who may also be in charge of chowkies, under them are head constables (senior constables), who lead teams of constables.

Armed Police/Reserve Police

In the context of State Armed Police or Armed Police Battalions, the overall command lies with an officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), who is responsible for overseeing the functioning and administration of the force. The ADGP is assisted by officers of the ranks of Inspector General (IG) and Deputy Inspector General (DIG), primarily for administrative and supervisory duties. Each armed police battalion or unit is headed by a Commandant, who holds a rank equivalent to that of a Superintendent of Police (SP). The Commandant is supported by a Deputy Commandant or Second-in-Command, equivalent in rank to an Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl. SP), and further by Assistant Commandants, who hold the rank equivalent to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). The battalion structure also includes Armed Police Inspectors, Armed Police Sub-Inspectors, Head Constables, Havildars, and Armed Police Constables.

See also

• Central Armed Police Forces ranks and insignia of India
• Paramilitary forces ranks and insignia of India
• Army ranks and insignia of India
• Air Force ranks and insignia of India
• Naval ranks and insignia of India
• Coast Guard ranks and insignia of India
• Border Roads Organisation ranks and insignia of India

Notes

1. Rank insignia of DGP is similar to Additional DGP.
2. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) is a post, not a rank, typically held by an SP (selection grade or junior grade) in states like Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab.
3. In an armed police battalion, the equivalent rank is "Commandant.
4. In an armed police battalion, the equivalent rank is Deputy Commandant
5. In an armed police battalion, the equivalent rank is Assistant Commandant.
6. One-star rank insignia only used in the West Bengal Police. All other police forces use the three-star with red and blue band rank insignia.
7. This rank exists only in the Maharashtra Police.
8. Shoulder insignia rank only used in the Maharashtra Police.
9. This rank is also known as senior constable, constable grade-I, and exists only in some state police forces.

References

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5. "Police Ranks and Badges". Odisha Police . Retrieved August 15, 2017.
6. "Police Ranks" (PDF). Maharashtra Police . Retrieved August 14, 2017.
7. "Governance of Kerala Police". Kerala Police . Retrieved August 14, 2017.
8. • "Police Ranks" (PDF). Maharashtra Police . Retrieved August 14, 2017.
   • "Governance of Kerala Police". Kerala Police . Retrieved August 14, 2017.
   • "Police Ranks and Badges". Odisha Police . Retrieved August 15, 2017.
   • "Kerala: Cops unhappy over promotion delay". The Times of India. January 6, 2021. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved May 4, 2023.
   • "Can SP be a non-IPS". sylendrababu.com. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
   • Kumar, S. Vijay (March 14, 2018). "Non-cadre postings irk IPS officers". The Hindu . ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved May 4, 2023.
9. "Nuh Police, Government of Haryana". mewat.haryanapolice.gov.in. Haryana Police . Retrieved 14 May 2024.
10. "Police Ranks" (PDF). Maharashtra Police . Retrieved August 14, 2017.
11. "Police Ranks and Badges". Odisha Police . Retrieved August 15, 2017.
12. "Home | Maharashtra State Police". www.mahapolice.gov.in.
13. Tamil Nadu Police
14. Bihar State Police
15. "Karnataka State Police". Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
16. "Mumbai Police". mumbaipolice.maharashtra.gov.in.
17. "Pune Police". Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.