The Order of precedence

Order of precedence

An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of items. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments...

 of the Republic of India is the protocol list (hierarchy of important positions) in which the functionaries and officials are listed according to their rank and office

Office

An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...

 in the Government of India

Government of India

The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...

. The order is established by the President of the India, through the Office of the President of India and is maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs

Ministry of Home Affairs (India)

Ministry of Home Affairs , known as the Home Ministry or MHA, is an Indian government ministry. It is an interior ministry mainly responsible for the maintenance of Internal security and domestic policy.-Ministerial Team:...

. It is only used to indicate ceremonial protocol

Protocol (diplomacy)

In international politics, protocol is the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state.A protocol is a rule which guides how an activity should be performed, especially in the field of diplomacy. In diplomatic services and governmental fields of endeavor protocols are often unwritten guidelines...

 and has no legal standing; it does not reflect the India's presidential line of succession or the co-equal status of the separation of powers under the Constitution

Constitution of India

The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens...

.

Also included below is the Warrant of Precedence (WoP) compiled from a joint consideration of the existing Central Warrant of Precedence (which is till the rank of Major General) and Warrant of Precedence of the year 1937, as per Ministry of Home Affairs {MHA} directions contained in Letter No 12/11/99-Pub II dated 26 Dec 1966, the validity of whichhas been confirmed by Letter No 12/1/2007-Public dated 14 Aug 2007. The MHA has confirmed in 2007 that the Old Warrant of Precedence shall be taken as a guide to determine ranks below the ones mentioned in the current WoP.

Rank	Persons
1	President of India President of India The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...  (Pratibha Patil Pratibha Patil Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the 12th President of the Republic of India and first woman to hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on 25 July 2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J... )
2	Vice-President of India Vice-President of India The Vice-President of India is the second-highest ranking government official in the executive branch of the Government of India, after the President...  (Mohammad Hamid Ansari Mohammad Hamid Ansari Mohammad Hamid Ansari ) is the 12th and current Vice President of India. He is a former chairman of the National Commission for Minorities... )
3	Prime Minister of India Prime Minister of India The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...  (Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian... )
4	Governors of states (within their respective states)
5	Former Presidents of India (A. P. J. Abdul Kalam), Deputy Prime Minister Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
6	Chief Justice of India Chief Justice of India The Chief Justice of India is the highest-ranking judge in the Supreme Court of India, and thus holds the highest judicial position in India. As well as presiding in the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice also head its administrative functions....  (Hon'ble Shri Justice S. H. Kapadia S. H. Kapadia Sarosh Homi Kapadia is the thirty-eighth and current Chief Justice of India.-Early life:... ),, Speaker of Lok Sabha Speaker of Lok Sabha The Speaker is the presiding officer of the lower house of Parliament of India. His/her role is similar to that of Speakers elsewhere in other countries that use the Westminster system of government....  (Meira Kumar Meira Kumar Meira Kumar is an Indian politician and a five time Member of Parliament. She was elected unopposed as the first woman Speaker of Lok Sabha on 3 June 2009.She is a lawyer and a former diplomat... )
7	Former Prime Ministers of India (Atal Bihari Vajpayee Atal Bihari Vajpayee Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from... , H. D. Deve Gowda H. D. Deve Gowda Haradanahalli Doddegowda Deve Gowda was the 11th Prime Minister of India and the 14th chief minister of the state of Karnataka .... , Inder Kumar Gujral Inder Kumar Gujral Inder Kumar Gujral served as the 12th Prime Minister of India. Gujral was the first PM to govern exclusively from the Rajya Sabha; , only he and Manmohan Singh have done so.-Early life:... ), Cabinet Ministers of the Union, Leaders of Chief Opposition Leader of the Opposition (India) Each House of the Parliament of India has a Leader of the Opposition. While the position also existed in the former Central Legislative Assembly of British India, and holders of it there included Motilal Nehru, it got statutory recognition through the Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition...  in the Rajya Sabha Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...  (Arun Jaitley Arun Jaitley Arun Jaitley is a prominent Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party , which is currently the largest Opposition party in India... ) and Lok Sabha Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...  (Sushma Swaraj Sushma Swaraj Sushma Swaraj is an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Member of Parliament. She is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the 15th Lok Sabha. She is a former union cabinet minister of India and a former Chief Minister of Delhi. Also she served as the Chairperson of the BJP's... ), Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission of India (Montek Singh Ahluwalia Montek Singh Ahluwalia Montek Singh Ahluwalia is an Indian economist and civil servant. He is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of the Republic of India. He was previously the first Director of the Independent Evaluation Office at the International Monetary Fund.-Early life and education:Montek... , Chief Ministers of States (within their respective states), Holders of the Bharat Ratna Bharat Ratna Bharat Ratna is the Republic of India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order." Unlike knights, holders of the Bharat Ratna...  decoration
8	Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and High Commissioners of the Commonwealth of Nations Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...  accredited to India, Governors of states (outside their respective states), Chief Ministers of states (outside their respective states)
9	Judges of the Supreme Court of India Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India... , Comptroller and Auditor General of India Comptroller and Auditor General of India The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is an authority, established by the Constitution of India, who audits all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments, including those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government. The CAG is...  (Vinod Rai Vinod Rai Vinod Rai is the present Comptroller and Auditor General of India. He assumed office on . He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Delhi, and Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University.He did his schooling from Vidya Niketan - Birla Public School - BPS Pilani... ), Chief Election Commissioner of India Chief Election Commissioner of India The Chief Election Commissioner heads the Election Commission of India, a body constitutionally empowered to conduct free and fair elections to the national and state legislatures...  (S. Y. Quraishi), Chairman of Union Public Service Commission Union Public Service Commission The Union Public Service Commission is the central agency authorized to conduct the Civil Services Examination for entry-level appointments to the various Civil Services of India. The agency's charter is granted by the Constitution of India...  (D. P. Agrawal)
10	Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, Members of the Planning Commission, Deputy Chief Ministers of States, 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 (currently A. K. Seth), Lieutenant Governors (within their respective Union Territories)
12	Chiefs of staff holding the rank of full General General A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....  or equivalent rank (Air Chief Marshal Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force... , Admiral Admiral Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"... )
13	Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary accredited to India
14	Chairman 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 National Commission for Minorities The National Commission for Minorities is a body constituted by the Government of India to monitor and evaluate the progress of people classified as minorities by the Indian government. Essentially the minorities in India consist of followers of all religions other than Hinduism and weaker... , Chairman of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission, Chief Justice of High Courts outside their respective jurisdictions, Puissant 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, Chairmen of 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 Councilor of Delhi within their respective Union Territories, Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories and 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 and Deputy Chairman of Metropolitan Council Delhi within their respective Union Territories
20	Deputy Chairman & Deputy Speakers of State Legislatures, outside their respective States, Ministers of State in States outside their respective States,
21	Members of Parliament
22	Deputy Ministers in States 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 of Minorities Commission, Members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission, Officers of the rank of full General or equivalent rank, Secretaries to the Government of India (including officers holding this office ex-officio), Secretary of Minorities Commission, Secretary of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission, Secretary to the President, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Secretary to Rajya Saba/Lok Saba, Solicitor General of India, Vice-Chairman, Central Administrative Tribunal
24	Officers of the rank of Lieutenant-General, Vice-Admiral or Air Marshal Air Marshal Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
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, Officers of the rank of Major-General, Rear-Admiral or Air Vice-Marshal Air Vice-Marshal Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in... , who are not holding the status of Principal Staff Officers.