Junior Commissioned Officer (
JCO)
is a term describing a group of military ranks found in the
Indian Army,
Pakistan Army,
Bangladesh Army and
Nepal Army. Those soldiers holding JCO rank
receive a commission from the President, but this commission is of
a lower status than that held by full
commissioned officers.
During
British rule, these officers were known
as Viceroy's Commissioned
Officers (VCOs) except in Nepal
, which was
never a British colony. Under the British, there was a clear
colonial context, the VCOs being the highest that an Indian could
get while the full commissioned officers were British – a
distinction which disappeared with Indian independence.
Senior
non-commissioned
officers are promoted to JCO rank on the basis of merit and
seniority, restricted by the number of vacancies. Junior
Commissioned Officers are treated as a separate class, and hold
many additional privileges. In the army, they have a separate
mess (the JCOs' mess), get family quarters, and
are authorized to travel in first class on the
railways. With good pay and privileges, it is an
ambition of most enlisted men to attain such rank.
JCOs often serve as platoon leaders in an infantry company, with a
major as company commander and a captain as
second-in-command.
Due to their long years of service, officers accord JCOs great
respect and influence, especially in cases involving the enlisted
ranks, their welfare and morale. Another custom religiously
followed is that a JCO is never addressed using just his name or
rank. The word
Saheb (master) is added as a suffix (e.g.:
Subedar Saheb or <<NAME>> Saheb).</<NAME>
<<NAME>It is said that even the
President of India has to follow this
tradition.</<NAME>
The JCO ranks in the
Indian Army (from
highest to lowest) are:
The JCO equivalent (or Chief Petty) ranks in the
Indian Navy are:
The JCO equivalent (or Warranted) ranks in the
Indian Air Force are:
While the Army JCOs receive a commission from the President, Naval
Chief Petty ranks and the Air Force Warrant Ranks do not receive a
Commission. Hence while they (Naval and Air Force) Ranks are
roughly equivalent to JCOs in pay and status within the services,
they are lower in precedence and protocol.
Sailors receive a President Warrant on promotion to the rank of
Chief Petty Officer. This is a certificate issued by the Commodore
Bureau of Sailors on behalf of the President of India to
authenticate the promotion of a sailor to the Chief rank, as the
CPO/MCPO II/MCPO I ranks are Junior Commissioned Ranks. The Warrant
is made on pre-printed stationery written by hand.
Army JCOs are Group B officers with Class II Gazetted status. Navy
Chief Petty and Air Force Warrant do not have gazetted status, with
restrictions on certain privileges enjoyed by their Army
counterparts. While Chief Petty Officer ranks in the Navy are not
authorised with any form of salute, the JCOs and Warranted ranks
are authorised salutes (including rifle salutes if given by an
armed soldier or airman).
Honorary commissions
There is also a custom of giving honorary commissions to deserving
Junior Commissioned Officers. Every year a list of eligible JCOs is
drawn up and honorary commissions awarded to them. This could be at
the time of retirement, or when still in service.
Honorary Commissioned Officers may wear the appropriate rank
insignia, but they do not become members of the officers' mess.
They do, however, receive the pay and pension of their honorary
rank. The honorary ranks in the various forces are:
Indian Army:
Indian Navy:
Indian Air Force:
Generally, in official documents the Junior Commissioned Officer
rank held by the officer is also added before the Honorary
Commission rank. For example, Subedar/Hony. Lt. or Subedar
Major/Hony. Capt.
References
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