Ranks and chiefs of the Indian armed forces
Each service has a ladder of ranks that line up across Army, Navy and Air Force, topped by three chiefs and a Chief of Defence Staff.
What the paper can ask
- The top rungs line up across services: General = Admiral = Air Chief Marshal; Lieutenant General = Vice Admiral = Air Marshal; the ranks below pair off the same way.
- Field Marshal is a ceremonial five-star rank: Sam Manekshaw (1973) and K. M. Cariappa (1986).
- The Chief of Defence Staff post, approved by the Cabinet in late 2019, is held by a four-star officer from any service.
- Army Day (15 January), Navy Day (4 December) and Air Force Day each mark a milestone in that service's history.
Latest
General Dhiraj Seth took over as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on 30 June 2026, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi; in September 2026 Shakti Sharma became the first non-medical woman officer to reach Air Vice Marshal.
Why exams ask
Setters ask the rank equivalent across services, the first Indian commander, the dates of service days and the newest chief.
The full story
India's three services are led by the Chiefs of the Army, Naval and Air Staff, all four-star officers, with a Chief of Defence Staff (post created in 2019) above them. The top rungs line up across services: General = Admiral = Air Chief Marshal; Lieutenant General = Vice Admiral = Air Marshal; the ranks below pair off the same way. Field Marshal and its Navy and Air Force equivalents are honorary five-star ranks.
In the news
Test yourself
1.Army Day, 15 January, marks the day in 1949 when K. M. Cariappa became
Correct. On 15 January 1949 Lt Gen K. M. Cariappa took over from General Roy Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
Not quite. On 15 January 1949 Lt Gen K. M. Cariappa took over from General Roy Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. It goes into your error book.
2.Indian Air Force Day is observed on which date, the date on which the IAF was founded in 1932?
Correct. The IAF was founded on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of British India.
Not quite. The IAF was founded on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of British India. It goes into your error book.