Last Updated : 8 April 2023
The Order of Precedence in India is meant for State and Ceremonial occasions and has no application in the day-to-day business of Government.
The Order of Precedence of the Republic of India is a list in which the functionaries, dignitaries, and officials are listed for ceremonial purposes and has no legal standing and does not reflect the Indian presidential line of succession or the co-equal status of the separation of powers under the Constitution of India.
The order is established by the President of India, through the President’s Secretariat and is maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Facts About Order Of Precedence In India
If there are multiple persons of similar rank, then they will be listed in alphabetical order. The order of precedence between themselves is determined by the date of entry into that Position/Rank.
According to Article 7, former Prime Ministers can take precedence over the Cabinet Ministers of the Union and the Leaders of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. The Chief Ministers of States within their respective States will take precedence over the Cabinet Ministers of the Union in official functions held in the respective States.
The Ministry of External Affairs may assign appropriate ranks to foreign dignitaries and Indian Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and Ministers Plenipotentiary during their visit to India.
The Deputy Chief Ministers of States outside their respective States will always rank below all other dignitaries figured in this article.
The Chairmen of State Legislative Councils will rank above the Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in cases where they were elected on the same date.
Order Of Precedence In India
Rank 1 No. Position Holder 1 President of India Draupadi Murmu
Rank 2 No. Position Holder 1 Vice-President of India Venkaiah Naidu
Rank 3 No. Position Holder 1 Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Rank 4 No. Position Holder 1 Governors of States Governor of 28 Indian States
Rank 5 No. Position Holder 1 Former Presidents 1) Pratibha Patil
Rank 5A No. Position Holder 1 Deputy Prime Minister Presently Vacant
Rank 6 No. Position Holder 1 Chief Justice N. V. Ramana 2 Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla
Rank 7 No. Position Holder 1 Cabinet Ministers of the Government of India List 2 Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Pramod Kumar Misra 3 National Security Advisor Ajit Doval 4 Chief Ministers of States All 28 Indian States 5 Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Position No Longer Exists (Replaced by NITI Aayog ) 6 Former Prime Ministers 1) H. D. Deve Gowda 7 Leaders of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha & Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge
Rank 7A No. Position Holder 1 Holders of the Bharat Ratna 1) Amartya Sen
Rank 8 No. Position Holder 1 Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary ~ 2 High Commissioners of Commonwealth Countries Accredited to India ~ 3 Chief Ministers of Indian States Outside Their Respective States 4 Governors of States Outside Their Respective States
Rank 9 No. Position Holder 1 Justices of the Supreme Court of India List
Rank 9A No. Position Holder 1 Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission Dr. Manoj Soni 2 Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar 3 Comptroller & Auditor General of India Girish Chandra Murmu
Rank 10 No. Position Holder 1 Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh 2 Deputy Chief Ministers of States List 3 Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha Vacant 4 Members of the Planning Commission Position No Longer Exists (Replaced by NITI Aayog ) 5 Ministers of States of the Union List
Rank 11 No. Position Holder 1 Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories List 2 Attorney General of India K. K. Venugopal 3 Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba
Rank 12 No. Position Holder 1 Chiefs of Staff holding the Rank of full General or Equivalent Rank Four-Star Rank Officers in the Armed Forces Chief of Defence Staff Vacant Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar
Rank 13 No. Position Holder 1 Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary Accredited to India ~
Rank 14 No. Position Holder 1 Chief Justices of High Courts List 2 Chairmen and Speakers of State Legislatures Respective Indian States
Rank 15 No. Position Holder 1 Chief Ministers of Union Territories Arvind Kejriwal 2 Cabinet Ministers in States All 28 Indian States 3 Chief Executive Councillor of Delhi Position No Longer Exists 4 Deputy Ministers of the Union List
Rank 16 No. Position Holder 1 Officiating Chiefs of Staff Holding the Rank of Lieutenant General or Equivalent Rank List
Rank 17 No. Position Holder 1 Judges of High Courts List 2 Chairman, Central Administrative Tribunal List 3 Chairman, Minorities Commission ~ 4 Chairman, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission ~
Rank 18 No. Position Holder 1 Cabinet Ministers in States Outside Their Respective States 2 Chairmen and Speakers of State Legislatures Outside Their Respective States 3 Chairman of Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission Position No Longer Exists 4 Deputy Chairmen and Deputy Speakers of State Legislatures Within Their Respective States 5 Ministers of State in States Within Their Respective States 6 Ministers of Union Territories and Executive Councilors of Delhi Within Their Respective Union Territories 7 Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories 1) K. M. Raju 8 Chairman of Delhi Metropolitan Council Position No Longer Exists
Rank 19 No. Position Holder 1 Chief Commissioners of Union Territories not having Council of Ministers Within Their Respective Union Territories 2 Deputy Ministers in States List 3 Deputy Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories 1) Zakia Khanam 4 Deputy Chairman of Delhi Metropolitan Council Rakhi Birla
Rank 20 No. Position Holder 1 Deputy Chairmen and Deputy Speakers of State Legislatures Outside Their Respective State 2 Ministers of State in States Outside Their Respective State
Rank 21 No. Position Holder 1 Members of Parliament List
Rank 22 No. Position Holder 1 Deputy Ministers in States Outside Their Respective State
Rank 23 No. Position Holder 1 Senior Three-Star Rank Officers in the Armed Forces 1) C-in-C (Commanding-in-Chief) Grade Vice Chief of the Army Staff Lieutenant General B. S. Raju Army Commanders General Officers Commanding-in-Chief Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade Naval Commanders Flag Officers Commanding-in-Chief Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sandeep Singh Air Commanders Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief 2 Secretaries to the Government of India ~ 3 Chief Secretaries to State Governments Within Their Respective States 4 Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities ~ 5 Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes ~ 6 Members, Minorities Commission ~ 7 Members, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes Commission ~ 8 Secretary, Minorities Commission ~ 9 Secretary, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission ~ 10 Secretary to the President ~ 11 Secretary to the Prime Minister ~ 12 Secretary General, Rajya Sabha/Lok Sabha ~ 13 Solicitor General Tushar Mehta 14 Vice-Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal ~
Rank 24 No. Position Holder 1 Three-Star Rank Officers in the Armed Forces ~ Lieutenant Generals of the Indian Army List Air Marshals of the Indian Air Force List Vice Admirals of the Indian Navy List
Rank 25 No. Position Holder 1 Additional Secretaries to the Government of India ~ 2 Principal Staff Officers of the Armed Forces Major General 3 Advocates General of States ~ 4 Additional Solicitors General ~ 5 Chairman, Tariff Commission ~ 6 Chargé d’affaires and Acting High Commissioners a pied and ad. interim ~ 7 Chief Ministers of Union Territories Outside Their Respective Union Territories 8 Chief Executive Councillor of Delhi Position No Longer Exists 9 Chief Secretaries of State Governments Outside Their Respective States 10 Deputy Comptrollers and Auditors General ~ 11 Deputy Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories ~ 12 Chairman of Delhi Metropolitan Council Position No Longer Exists 13 Deputy Chairman of Delhi Metropolitan Council Position No Longer Exists 14 Director of the Intelligence Bureau Arvind Kumar 15 Director, Central Bureau of Investigation ~ 16 Director General, Border Security Force ~ 17 Director General, Central Reserve Police Force ~ 18 Lieutenants Governor of Union Territories Outside Their Respective Union Territories 19 Members, Central Administrative Tribunal ~ 20 Members, Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission Position No Longer Exists 21 Members of the Union Public Service Commission and State Public Service Commission ~ 22 Ministers of Union Territories and Executives Councilors of Delhi Position No Longer Exists 23 Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories ~
Rank 26 No. Position Holder 1 Joint Secretaries to the Government of India ~ 2 Two-Star Rank Officers in the Armed Forces ~ Major Generals of the Indian Army ~ Rear Admirals of the Indian Navy ~ Air Vice Marshals of the Indian Air Force ~
