PSI full form Police system in India is organised by the State Government and its hierarchy is different from state to state. Police is a state subject as per entry 2 in the State Subject List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. The Indian Police Service (IPS) provides leadership to the State Police in all states. We provide here the Indian Police Hierarchy and the ranking order. The candidates can see here the Police Post lists, insignia, badges and the detail information about the Police promotions.
OVERVIEW
Police Ranks in India: Police is a state subject as per Entry 2 of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. Every state has a different nomenclature to organise its Police force in a hierarchy as mentioned in their police rules. The Police rank and posts are mentioned in the State Police Acts and related Rules and Regulations. Indian Police Service is the Apex of the Indian Police force. It is the highest direct entry Police Post in India. In all states, the posts after a certain level are manned by the IPS officers only.
There are two important systems of Police force organisation in the states.Under the traditional system, the warrant can be issued by the District Magistrate only but under the Commissionerate sytem, the Commissioner of Police can issue the warrants. In the Commissionarate system, the Police has more autonomy and powers. In the majority of states, the Police Department comes under the Home Ministry of the state government. At the district level, the Police personnel come directly under the District Magistrate as he is primarily responsible for the Law and Order situation in the district. The DM works in the General Administrative Department in all states which comes under the Chief Minister of state. The Union Government of India controls the Police ranks in the Union Territories (UTs) through Lieutenant governors of the UTs.
Police Ranks in India
Police rank in the states has more or less the same hierarchy of police machinery. Police ranks in India are organised in the manner given below.
Police Rank: Constable
Constable is the lowest position in the police force. In some states, it is also called Sipahi. The nomenclature is taken from the Mughal period when the Sipahi was the person who carried the army. In the less sensitive postings, the Constable has a wooden stick but in the sensitive postings, the constable can carry a rifle. The arms training is imparted in the training after the recruitment. These posts come under the Constabulary system devised under British rule. Constable becomes Senior Constable and is later promoted to the post of Head Constable.
State police recruitment bodies conduct exams for home guard or constable recruitment. There are three levels, find the hierarchy below:
- Constable (CT)
- Head Constable (HC)
In some states, there are Naik Posts in between the two.
Police Rank: Assistant Sub Inspector
Head Constable is followed by the Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) post. ASI is directly recruited through the competitive exams conducted by designated authorities which differ from state to state. Every state police unit has its own recruitment machinery that conducts competitive exams for recruitment. Exams are conducted to recruit ASI and SI who are promoted to PI, eventually. Find the hierarchy of these posts below:
- Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police (ASI)
- Sub-Inspector of Police (SI)
- Inspector of Police (PI)
Police Rank: Provincial/State Police Service Officers (PPS/SPS)
Provincial or State Police Service officers are selected through the ‘State Public Service Commission’. State Police Service is the gazetted service. They are eligible for appointment to the Indian Police Service (IPS) after certain years in service. The PPS officers are appointed as DSP. Some Police Inspectors are also promoted to the post of DSP in the last leg of their career. SPS officers are promoted in the following order:
- Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)
- Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP)
- Superintendent of Police (SP)
- Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)
IPS Officers Ranks
The recruitment of these officers is conducted through Civil Service Exam. After selection, they are eligible to receive a pan India posting as Assistant Superintendent. Find the post orders below:
- Assistant Superintendent of Police
- Additional Superintendent of Police
- Superintendent of Police (SP)
- Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)
- Deputy Inspector General of Police
- Inspector-General of Police (IGP)
- Additional Director General of Police
- Director-General of Police (DGP)
Police Rank List
The candidates can see below the Police ranks in order of their hierarchy.
| SNo. | Police Ranks | Recruitment Method |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Constable | Direct Recruitment through the Police Recruitment Board |
| 2 | Head Constable | Promotion |
| 3 | Assistant Sub-Inspector | Direct Recruitment through the Police Recruitment Board |
| 4 | Sub-Inspector | Promotion |
| 5 | Inspector | Promotion |
| 6 | Deputy Superintendant of Police (Dy. SP) | PPS recruited through the SPSC/IPS in the initial years |
| 7 | Additional Superintendent of Police | IPS/PPS through promotion |
| 9 | Superintendent of Police | IPS/PPS through promotion |
| 10 | Senior Superintendent of Police | IPS through promotion |
| 11 | Deputy Inspector General of Police | IPS through promotion |
| 12 | Inspector-General of Police (IGP) | IPS through promotion |
| 13 | Additional Director General of Police (ADG) | IPS through promotion |
| 14 | Director-General of Police (DGP) | IPS through promotion |
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Police Rank in IG and Commissionerate System of Policing
| Police Rank in IG Police System | Police Rank in Commissionerate Police System |
|---|---|
| Director-General of Police (DGP) | |
| Additional Director General of Police (ADG) | Commissioner of Police |
| Inspector-General of Police (IGP) | Additional Commissioner of Police |
| Deputy Inspector General of Police | Additional Commissioner of Police |
| Senior Superintendent of Police | Deputy Commissioner of Police |
| Superintendent of Police | Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police |
| Additional Superintendent of Police | Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police |
| Deputy Superintendant of Police (Dy. SP) | Assistant Commissioner of Police |
| Inspector | |
| Sub-Inspector | |
| Assistant Sub-Inspector | |
| Head Constable | |
| Constable | |
FAQ
The Police Ranks in Order from top to bottom are mentioned below:
- Director-General of Police (DGP)
- Inspector-General of Police (IGP)
- Deputy Inspector General of Police
- Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)
- Superintendent of Police (SP)
- Deputy Superintendant of Police (Dy. SP)
- Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP)
- Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP)
- Inspector of Police (PI)
- Sub-Inspector of Police (SI)
- Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police (ASI)
- Head Constable (HC)
- Naik
- Constables
Stars depict the designation of the police officers. The two stars are provided to the Assitant Sub-inspector. Three stars are given to the Senior Inspector and sometimes to Additional Superintendent of Police (SP). The shoulder badge ends with the name of the state police such as UPP for Uttar Pradesh Police, DP for Delhi Police. IPS officer has the Ashoka Badge on their shoulders with two stars. The IPS is written on the should badge. Since it is an All India Service, state police name is not mentioned.
Police ranks in the Commissionarate system have more powers and jurisdiction in comparison to the traditional IG system of Policing. DCP or Deputy Commissioner of Police has more powers in comparison to the SP. The candidates can see here the equivalent police ranks in the IG and Commissionarates system of policing.
