Admiral (India)

Admiral
Admiral;
	Flag of Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy
	Shoulder and sleeve stripes of an admiral in the Indian Navy
	Star insignia of an admiral in the Indian Navy
Country	India
Service branch	Indian Navy
Abbreviation	Adm
Rank	Four-star rank
Next higher rank	Admiral of the fleet
Next lower rank	Vice admiral
Equivalent ranks	General (Indian Army); Air chief marshal (Indian Air Force)

Admiral is a four-star naval flag officer rank in the Indian Navy. It is the highest active rank in the Indian Navy. Admiral ranks above the three-star rank of vice admiral and below the five-star rank of admiral of the fleet, which has never been awarded or held.

An admiral may be referred to as a full admiral or four-star admiral to distinguish them from lower flag officer ranks like vice admiral and rear admiral. The equivalent rank in the Indian Army is general and in the Indian Air Force is air chief marshal.

History

The rank is held by the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), the professional head of the Indian Navy, since 1968. The rank may also be held by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) if the holder is a serving Indian Navy flag officer. Admiral Adhar Kumar Chatterji was the first Indian officer to hold the rank of full admiral.^[1] The current Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) and only full admiral in the Indian Armed Forces is Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.

Insignia

The flag of an admiral has a gold-blue octagon bearing naval crest in the middle, and four blue stars placed vertically at hoist side. This new design was introduced in September 2022.^[2] Earlier, the flag of an admiral had a horizontal red stripe and a vertical red stripe intersecting at the centre. On top of the intersection is superimposed a navy-blue Ashoka Chakra.^[3]

The badges of rank have a crossed sword and baton over four eight-pointed stars and the Ashoka emblem above, on a golden shoulder board. An admiral wears gorget patches which are golden patches with four white stars and additional oak leaves under them. In addition to this, the double-breasted reefer jacket has four golden sleeve stripes consisting of a broad band with three narrower bands.

Appointment and term length

Appointments to the office of CNS are made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), which is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.

The term length of the Chief of Naval Staff is three years or until the age of 62 of the holder, whichever is earlier.^[4]^[5]

Order of precedence

An admiral ranks at No. 12 on the Indian order of precedence, along with the CDS and the Chiefs of Staff of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force (the COAS and the CAS).^[6] An admiral is at pay level 18, equivalent to Cabinet Secretary of India (at No. 11 on the warrant of precedence), with a monthly pay of ₹250,000 (US$3,500).^[7]^[8]

References

^ "Admiral AK Chatterji Fellowship Book Release | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
^ "PM unveils new Naval Ensign 'Nishaan', commissions India's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant: 10 Facts". ANI News. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
^ Singh 2018, p. 398.
^ DelhiDecember 29, Manjeet Singh Negi New; December 29, Manjeet Singh Negi New; Ist, Manjeet Singh Negi New. "Maximum age limit for Chief of Defence Staff put at 65". India Today.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Gurung, Shaurya Karanbir (29 December 2019). "Government amends rules to allow Chief of Defence Staff to serve up to maximum age of 65 years". The Economic Times.
^ "President's Secretariat" (PDF). Office of the President of India. Rajya Sabha. 26 August 1979. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
^ "Report of the Seventh Central Pay Commission" (PDF). 20 November 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2015.
^ DelhiJune 29, India Today Web Desk New; June 29, India Today Web Desk New; Ist, India Today Web Desk New. "7th Pay Commission cleared: What is the Pay Commission? How does it affect salaries?". India Today.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Bibliography

Singh, Anup (2018), Blue Waters Ahoy!: The Indian Navy 2001–2010, HarperCollins Publishers India, ISBN 978-9353025526

[1] "Admiral AK Chatterji Fellowship Book Release | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.

[2] "PM unveils new Naval Ensign 'Nishaan', commissions India's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant: 10 Facts". ANI News. Retrieved 16 November 2024.

[FOOTNOTESingh2018398-3] Singh 2018, p. 398.

[4] DelhiDecember 29, Manjeet Singh Negi New; December 29, Manjeet Singh Negi New; Ist, Manjeet Singh Negi New. "Maximum age limit for Chief of Defence Staff put at 65". India Today.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[5] Gurung, Shaurya Karanbir (29 December 2019). "Government amends rules to allow Chief of Defence Staff to serve up to maximum age of 65 years". The Economic Times.

[rajyasabha-6] "President's Secretariat" (PDF). Office of the President of India. Rajya Sabha. 26 August 1979. Retrieved 5 August 2010.

[7] "Report of the Seventh Central Pay Commission" (PDF). 20 November 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2015.

[8] DelhiJune 29, India Today Web Desk New; June 29, India Today Web Desk New; Ist, India Today Web Desk New. "7th Pay Commission cleared: What is the Pay Commission? How does it affect salaries?". India Today.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

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