Colonel (India)

Colonel
Rank insignia of a colonel of the Indian Army
Country	India
Service branch	Indian Army
Abbreviation	Col
Rank	Colonel
Next higher rank	Brigadier
Next lower rank	Lieutenant colonel
Equivalent ranks	Captain (Indian Navy) Group captain (Indian Air Force)

Colonel is a rank in the Indian Army. Like other armies, this rank is higher than lieutenant colonel and lower than a brigadier. It is equivalent to captain in the Indian Navy and group captain in the Indian Air Force.

The Indian Army has followed the British Army rank system since India's independence from the British Empire in 1947. However, the St Edward's Crown in the rank insignia was replaced with the National Emblem of India, symbolising the sovereignty of the Government of India.

Appointments

Colonels in the Indian Army command battalion-sized units (infantry battalions, artillery regiments, armoured regiments). Until the 1980s, battalions (and equivalents) were commanded by a lieutenant colonel. Colonels also serve as staff officers in divisions like Colonel General Staff (Col GS) and Colonel Administration (Col Adm). At Army headquarters, colonels hold the appointments of directors of directorates and branches.

Insignia

The badges of rank have two five-pointed stars and the National emblem above. The gorget patches of a colonel consist of crimson patches with golden braids.

Pay scale

Colonels are at pay level 13, with a monthly pay between ₹130,600 and ₹215,900 with a monthly service pay of ₹15,500. This is the first selection-grade rank. The promotion to the rank can happen through selection or on time-scale basis. A minimum of 15 years of commissioned service is required for an officer to be considered in the selection grade. This is the highest rank which may be attained by officers on time-scale promotion if not promoted to colonel by selection after 26 years of commissioned service.

Colonel of the regiment

The colonel of the regiment (COR) is a tradition and position that the Indian Army has inherited from the British Army, as have other armies of the commonwealth. The post of COR is an elected post. All officers including and above the rank of colonel vote as do all battalion commanding officers (CO). The vote of the COs represents the vote of their soldiers. The COR is a senior officer of the regiment, usually the senior-most, who is a father-figure to the regiment and looks after the interests of the regiment. Thus, they are usually general officers or brigadiers. On ceremonial occasions, the COR wears the rank badges of a colonel rather than their actual rank.

Famous Indian colonels

• Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore - Olympic Silver medalist, former Minister of State for Youth affairs and Sports and Member of parliament from Jaipur Rural
• Narendra 'Bull' Kumar - mountaineer known for expeditions in the Himalayas, Karakoram and the Siachen Glacier
• Balbir Singh Kular - field hockey player for India who won the Asian Games Gold in 1966 and the Olympic Bronze in 1968
• Ajay Kothiyal - Kirti Chakra (KC), Shaurya Chakra (SC), Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) awardee known for his contribution in the rescue operations during Uttarakhand natural disaster of 2013 and subsequent development initiatives. He was also part of the 1999 Kargil war and lead the 2003 surgical strike in Pulwama. He is also a mountaineer and was first Indian to successfully climb Mt Manaslu in 2011. Impressed by the vision and development work of Arvind Kejriwal, he joined Aam Aadmi Party in April 2021 and is their CM candidate for upcoming 2022 Uttarakhand elections

See also

• Army ranks and insignia of India