Table of Precedence

RESIDENT’S SECRETARIAT

New Delhi, the 26^th July, 1979

No.33-Pres/79 -In supersession of all previous notifications issued on the subject, the following Table, with respect to the rank and precedence of the persons named therein which has been approved by the President, is published for general information: -

1. President

2. Vice-President

3. Prime Minister

4. Governors of States within their respective States

5. Former Presidents

5A. Deputy Prime Minister

6. Chief Justice of India

Speaker of Lok Sabha

7. Cabinet Ministers of the Union.

Chief Ministers of States within their respective States

Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission

Former Prime Ministers

Leaders of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha

7A. Holders of Bharat Ratna decoration

8. Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and High Commissioners of Commonwealth countries accredited to India

Chief Ministers of States outside their respective States

Governors of States outside their respective States)

9. Judges of Supreme Court

9A Chairperson, Union Public Service Commission

Chief Election Commissioner

Comptroller & Auditor General of India

10. Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha

Deputy Chief Ministers of States

Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha

Members of the Planning Commission

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.

Lieutenant Governors within their respective Union Territories

12. Chiefs of Staff holding the rank of full General or equivalent rank.

13. Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary accredited to India.

14. Chairmen 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, 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, Central Administrative Tribunal.

Chairman, Minorities Commission

Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Castes

Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes

Chief Justices of High Courts outside their respective jurisdictions

Puisne 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

Chairman, 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 Councilors, 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 Chairmen and Deputy Speakers of State Legislatures, outside their respective states.

Ministers of State in States outside their respective States

Puisne Judges of High Courts outside their respective jurisdictions.

21. Members of Parliament.

22. Deputy Ministers in State 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, Minorities Commission

Members, National Commission for Scheduled Castes

Members, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes

Officers of the rank of full General or equivalent rank

Secretaries to the Government of India (including officers holding this office ex-officio).

Secretary, Minorities Commission.

Secretary, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission.

Secretary to the President.

Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Secretary, Rajya Sabha/Lok Sabha

Solicitor General

Vice-Chairman, Central Administrative Tribunal

24. Officers of the rank of Lieutenant General or equivalent rank.

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 and officers of equivalent rank.

Officers of the rank of Major-General or equivalent rank

NOTES

Note 1 The order in this Table of Precedence is meant for State and Ceremonial occasions and

has no application in the day-to-day business of Government.

Note 2 Persons in the Table of Precedence will take rank in order of the number of the articles. The entries in the same article are arranged alphabetically. Those included in the same article will take precedence inter se according to date of entry into that article. However, where the dignitaries of different States and Union Territories included in the same article are present at a function outside their States or Union Territories and there is difficulty in ascertaining their dates of entry, they may be assigned precedence inter se in the alphabetical order of the name of States and Union Territories concerned after those whose precedence is determined according to date of entry into that article.

Note 3 In Article 7, former Prime Ministers will take precedence over the Cabinet Ministers of the Union and the Leaders of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. The Chief Ministers of States within their respective States will take precedence over the Cabinet Ministers of the Union in official functions held in the respective States.

Note 4 In Article 8: –

(a) Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and High Commissioners of Commonwealth countries accredited to India will en bloc rank above Governors of States outside their respective States;

(b) Governors of States outside their respective States will en bloc rank above Chief Ministers of States outside their respective States.

Note 5 The Ministry of External Affairs may assign appropriate ranks to foreign dignitaries and Indian Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Ministers Plenipotentiary during their visit to India.

Note 6 Notwithstanding the procedure laid down in Note 2, the rank inter se and precedence of the persons in Article 10 shall be assigned in the following order: -

                       (1) Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha.

                       (2) Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha.

                       (3) Ministers of State of the Union and any other Minister in the Ministry of Defence for defence matters.

                       (4) Deputy Chief Ministers of States.

                       (5) Members of Planning Commission.

However, the Deputy Chief Ministers of States outside their respective States will always rank below all other dignitaries figuring in this article.

Note 7 The Chairmen of State Legislative Councils will rank above the Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in cases where they were elected on the same date.

Note 8 When Members of Parliament are invited en bloc to major State functions, the enclosures reserved for them should be next to the Chief Justice, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Ambassadors etc.

Note 9 Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories and Chairman of the Delhi Metropolitan Council, Delhi, will take precedence over Ministers and Executive Councillors, included in the same article.

Note 10 In Article 23: -

(a) Secretaries in the Ministry of External Affairs other than the Foreign Secretary, between themselves, will take precedence in the order of their seniority in Grade-I of the Indian Foreign Service and both of them will take precedence after the Foreign Secretary.

                          (b) Members of the Minorities Commission and the Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes Commission will always take precedence over the Secretaries of these Commissions;

(c) In official functions held at Delhi/New Delhi, Army Commanders/Vice Chief of the Army Staff or equivalent in other Services will always rank after Secretaries to the Government of India.

Note 11 In Article 25: -

                         (a) Additional Secretaries in the Ministry of External Affairs, among themselves, will take precedence in the order of their seniority in Grade- II of the Indian Foreign Service;

                         (b) Additional Solicitor General will take precedence above the Advocate General of States;

(c) Lieutenant Governors will take precedence over the Chief Ministers and Chief Executive Councillor, Delhi, and the latter will take precedence over Speakers of Legislative Assemblies and Chairman, Metropolitan Council, Delhi;

(d) Deputy Speakers of Legislative Assemblies of Union Territories and Deputy Chairman of Delhi Metropolitan Council will take precedence after Ministers of Union Territories and Executive Councillors, Delhi.

Note 12 For the purpose of Article 26, the posts equivalent to the posts of Joint Secretaries to the Government of India will be determined by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

(K.C. Madappa)

Secretary to the President