The Order of Precedence of the Republic of India is a protocol list in which the functionaries and authorities are listed according to their rank and office in the Government 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. It is meant for State and Ceremonial occasions and has no legal standing. It does not reflect the Indian presidential line of succession or the co-equal status of separation of powers under the Constitution. It does not apply to the day-to-day functioning of the Indian Government.
Table of Precedence
| Rank (Article) | Post |
|---|---|
| 1 | President |
| 2 | Vice-President |
| 3 | Prime Minister |
| 4 | Governors of States within their respective States |
| 5 | Former Presidents |
| 5A | Deputy Prime Minister |
| 6 | • Chief Justice of India • Speaker of Lok Sabha |
| 7 | • Cabinet Ministers of the Union • Chief Ministers of States within their respective States • Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission (replaced by NITI Aayog) • Former Prime Ministers • Leaders of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha |
| 7A | Holders of Bharat Ratna decoration |
| 8 | • Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and High Commissioners of Commonwealth countries accredited to India • Chief Ministers of States (outside their respective States) • Governors of States (outside their respective States) |
| 9 | Judges of the Supreme Court of India |
| 9A | • Chairperson of Union Public Service Commission • Chief Election Commissioner • Comptroller and Auditor General of India |
| 10 | • Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha • Deputy Chief Ministers of States • Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha • Members of the Planning Commission (replaced by NITI Aayog) • Ministers of State of the Union (and any other Minister in the Ministry of Defence for defence matters) |
| 11 | • Attorney General of India • Cabinet Secretary • Lieutenant Governors within their respective Union Territories |
| 12 | Chiefs of Staff holding the rank of full General or equivalent rank • General of the Indian Army • Air Chief Marshal of the Indian Air Force • Admiral of the Indian Army |
| 13 | Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary accredited to India |
| 14 | • Chairmen and Speakers of State Legislatures within their respective States • Chief Justices of High Courts within their respective jurisdictions |
| 15 | • Cabinet Ministers in States within their respective States • Chief Ministers of Union Territories and Chief Executive Councillor of Delhi within their respective Union Territories • Deputy Ministers of the Union |
| 16 | Officiating Chiefs of Staff holding the rank of Lieutenant General or equivalent rank |
| 17 | • Chairman of Central Administrative Tribunal • Chairman of Minorities Commission • Chairperson of National Commission for Scheduled Castes • Chairperson of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes • Chief Justices of High Courts outside their respective jurisdictions • Puisne Judges of High Courts within their respective jurisdictions |
| 18 | • Cabinet Ministers in States outside their respective States • Chairmen and Speakers of State Legislatures outside their respective States • Chairman of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission • Deputy Chairmen and Deputy Speakers of State Legislatures within their respective States • Ministers of State in States within their respective States • Ministers of Union Territories and Executive Councilors, Delhi (within their respective Union Territories). • Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories (within their respective Union Territories) • Chairman of Delhi Metropolitan Council (within their respective Union Territories) |
| 19 | • Chief Commissioners of Union Territories not having Councils of Ministers (within their respective Union Territories) • Deputy Ministers in States within their respective States • Deputy Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories (within their respective Union Territories) • Deputy Chairman of metropolitan Council Delhi (within their respective Union Territories) |
| 20 | • Deputy Chairmen and Deputy Speakers of State Legislatures (outside their respective States) • Ministers of State in States outside their respective States • Puisne Judges of High Courts outside their respective jurisdictions |
| 21 | Members of Parliament |
| 22 | Deputy Ministers in State outside their respective States |
| 23 | • Army Commanders/ Vice-Chief of the Army Staff or equivalent in other services • Chief Secretaries to State Governments within their respective States • Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities • Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes • Members, Minorities Commission • Members, National Commission for Scheduled Castes • Members, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes • Officers of the rank of full General or equivalent rank • Secretaries to the Government of India (including officers holding this office ex-officio) • Secretary, Minorities Commission • Secretary, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission • Secretary to the President • Secretary to the Prime Minister • Secretary, Rajya Sabha/Lok Sabha • Solicitor General • Vice-Chairman, Central Administrative Tribunal |
| 24 | Officers of the rank of Lieutenant General or equivalent rank |
| 25 | • Additional Secretaries to the Government of India • Additional Solicitor General • Advocate Generals of States • Chairman, Tariff Commission • Charge d’ Affairs and Acting High Commissioners a pied and ad interim • Chief Ministers of Union Territories and Chief Executive Councillor, Delhi outside their respective Union Territories • Chief Secretaries of State Governments outside their respective States • Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General • Deputy Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories and Deputy Chairman, Delhi Metropolitan Council (outside their respective Union Territories) • Director, Central Bureau of Investigation • Director General, Border Security Force • Director General, Central Reserve Police • Director, Intelligence Bureau • Lieutenant Governors outside their respective Union Territories • Members, Central Administrative Tribunal • Members, Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission • Members, Union Public Service Commission • Ministers of Union Territories and Executive Councillors, Delhi, outside their respective Union Territories. • Principal Staff Officers of the Armed Forces of the rank of major General or equivalent rank • Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories and Chairman of Delhi, Metropolitan Council (outside their respective Union Territories) |
| 26 | • Joint Secretaries to the Government of India and officers of equivalent rank • Officers of the rank of Major-General or equivalent rank |
Notes
Note 1
The order in this Table of Precedence is meant for State and Ceremonial occasions and has no application in the day-to-day business of Government.
Note 2
Persons in the Table of Precedence will take rank in order of the number of articles. The entries in the same article are arranged alphabetically. Those included in the same article will take precedence inter se according to the date of entry into that article. However, where the dignitaries of different States and Union Territories included in the same article are present at a function outside their States or Union Territories, and there is difficulty in ascertaining their dates of entry, they may be assigned precedence inter se in the alphabetical order of the name of States and Union Territories concerned after those whose precedence is determined according to date of entry into that article.
Note 3
In Article 7, Former Prime Ministers will 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.
Note 4
In Article 8:
- Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and High Commissioners of Commonwealth countries accredited to India will en bloc rank above Governors of States outside their respective States;
- Governors of States outside their respective States will en bloc rank above Chief Ministers of States outside their respective States.
Note 5
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.
Note 6
Notwithstanding the procedure laid down in Note 2, the rank inter se and precedence of the persons in Article 10 shall be assigned in the following order:
- Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
- Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha.
- Ministers of State of the Union and any other Minister in the Ministry of Defence for defence matters.
- Deputy Chief Ministers of States.
- Members of the Planning Commission.
However, the Deputy Chief Ministers of States outside their respective States will always rank below all other dignitaries figured in this article.
Note 7
The Chairmen of State Legislative Councils will rank above the Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in cases where they were elected on the same date.
Note 8
When Members of Parliament are invited en bloc to major State functions, the enclosures reserved for them should be next to the Chief Justice, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Ambassadors etc.
Note 9
Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories and Chairman of the Delhi Metropolitan Council, Delhi, will take precedence over Ministers and Executive Councillors, included in the same article.
Note 10
In Article 23:
- Secretaries in the Ministry of External Affairs other than the Foreign Secretary, between themselves, will take precedence in the order of their seniority in Grade-I of the Indian Foreign Service and both of them will take precedence after the Foreign Secretary.
- Members of the Minorities Commission and the Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes Commission will always take precedence over the Secretaries of these Commissions;
- In official functions held at Delhi/New Delhi, Army Commanders/Vice Chief of the Army Staff or equivalent in other Services will always rank after Secretaries to the Government of India.
Note 11
In Article 25:
- Additional Secretaries in the Ministry of External Affairs, among themselves, will take precedence in the order of their seniority in Grade- II of the Indian Foreign Service;
- Additional Solicitor General will take precedence above the Advocate General of States;
- Lieutenant Governors will take precedence over the Chief Ministers and Chief Executive Councillor, Delhi, and the latter will take precedence over Speakers of Legislative Assemblies and Chairman, Metropolitan Council, Delhi;
- Deputy Speakers of Legislative Assemblies of Union Territories and Deputy Chairman of Delhi Metropolitan Council will take precedence after Ministers of Union Territories and Executive Councillors, Delhi.
Note 12
For the purpose of Article 26, the posts equivalent to the posts of Joint Secretaries to the Government of India will be determined by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Source: Table of Precedence