2405:201:3016:F06A:196A:D936:9FB:3C4D at 08:33, 27 August 2022

2022-08-27T08:33:58Z

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{{Short description|Senior military rank}}
'''Junior Commissioned Officer''' ('''JCO''') is a term used for a group of military ranks which is higher than [[havildar]] ([[non commissioned officer]]) and lower than [[lieutenant]] ([[commissioned officer]]). The term is only used by [[Bangladesh]], [[India]], and [[Pakistan]].<ref name="Gazetted Officers">{{cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/junior-commissioned-officers-are-gazetted-officers-says-army-1770438|title=Junior Commissioned Officers Are Gazetted Officers, Says Army|website=[[NDTV]]|access-date=19 December 2018}}</ref> Senior havildars are promoted to JCO rank on the basis of merit and seniority, restricted by the number of vacancies.<ref name="Kumar"/> JCOs are treated as a separate class and hold additional privileges. Primarily the term was associated with armies but since the 2000s India and Pakistan's navies and air forces are using the term to indicate their [[Chief Petty Officer]]s and [[Warrant Officer]]s.

The [[British Indian Army]] recruited [[Gurkha]] soldiers from Nepal since the 19th century and separate Gurkha Regiments were created for them, the Gurkha soldiers got same ranks as other Indian soldiers; the modern [[Nepal Army]] officially made the Indian Army rank system for their soldiers in 1960s through a series of reorganizations and the 'JCO' term is being used by them from then.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nepalarmy.mil.np/page/history|title=History - Nepali Army नेपाली सेना|website=www.nepalarmy.mil.np}}</ref> After the secession of [[East Pakistan]] in 1971 the [[Bangladesh Army]] inherited the 'JCO' rank system from [[Pakistan Army]] though since early 2000s the army uses the [[Warrant Officer]] terms.

==History==
The JCO evolved from the [[Viceroy's Commissioned Officer]]s (VCOs), established in the [[British Indian Army]] during the [[British Raj]] in 1885. The VCOs themselves succeeded the so-called native officers holding a commission from the [[Governor-General of India|Governor General]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Richard|last=Stevenson|title=Beatson's Mutiny. The Turbulent Career of a Victorian Soldier|date=2015|publisher=I.B.Tauris|location=London. New York|page=37|ISBN=978-1-784531-10-2}}</ref> [[Gurkha]] regiments in British service had also their set of 'native officers' resp. VCOs, although their homeland [[Nepal]] was never a British colony.

Under the British, there was a clear colonial context, with the VCOs being the highest ranks an Indian could attain. The full commissioned officers were British, from the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century. However, that changed slowly under the principles of [[Indianisation (British India)|Indianisation]]. In 1905, a special (or one could say better a 'crippled' form) of King’s Commission in His Majesty’s Native Land Forces was instituted. Indians who had qualified through the [[Imperial Cadet Corps]] would earn a commission that was limited to having authority over Indian troops only. Its holders could not rise above the [[Major]]. From 1917, in the midst of [[World War I]], Indians 'with good family background' became eligible to study at the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]] and earn a commission as [[King's Commissioned Indian Officer]] (KCIO).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/features/how-indians-rose-up-to-be-officers-10124 |title=How Indians rose up to be Officers |website=www.tribuneindia.com |date=14 December 2019 |access-date=9 July 2022 |last=Singh |first=Brigadier, Member of Parliament (retd)|url-status=live}}</ref> By the time of independence in 1947, there were many Indian (and Pakistani) officers who had graduated from Sandhurst or the [[Indian Military Academy]].

==Army==
A Junior Commission is signed and awarded by the [[Havildar]]'s [[commanding officer]].<ref name="Leadership"/> This type of commission is inferior to that held by full [[commissioned officer]]s.<ref name="Personnel Services Directorate">{{cite web |last=Personnel Services Directorate |title=Psdte311212 |url=http://www.indianarmy.gov.in/writereaddata/documents/psdte311212.pdf |access-date=4 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="DSR Indian Army">{{cite web |title=DSR Volume I, Chapter IV—JCOs, WOs,OR AND NON-COMBATANTS (ENROLLED) |url=http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/RTI/rti/DSR/DSR_VOLUME_1/CHAPTER_04/53.htm |date=2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109212304/http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/RTI/rti/DSR/DSR_VOLUME_1/CHAPTER_04/53.htm |archive-date=9 November 2014 |website=Indian Army |access-date=4 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="Kumar">{{cite news |last=Kumar |first=M. K. Sunil |title=Rules of the Raj hindering havildars' promotion |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/article283262.ece |date=16 May 2012 |newspaper=[[The New Indian Express]] |access-date=3 August 2015}}</ref>

In the army, JCOs have a separate [[mess]] (the JCOs' mess), and are entitled to travel in AC 2 Tier on the [[railway]]s and by air economy class (while on temporary duty or other movements). In the infantry, all JCO ranks have the word ''subedar'' in them, whereas the cavalry equivalent is ''risaldar''.

The JCO ranks in the [[Indian Army]] and the [[Pakistan Army]] (from highest to lowest) are:
*[[Subedar Major]]/[[Risaldar Major]]
*[[Subedar]]/[[Risaldar]]
*[[Naib Subedar]]/[[Naib Risaldar]]

JCOs holding the rank of Naib Subedar or Subedar often serve as platoon commanders in an infantry company in place of lieutenants, with a major as the company commander and a captain as second-in-command. JCOs holding the rank of [[Subedar Major]] assist their battalion's commanding officer in the same way as a [[regimental sergeant major]] would, to the extent that the equivalent rank of regimental havildar major is now almost obsolete in the Indian Army.

In the Indian Army, due to their long years of service, officers accord JCOs great respect and JCOs have a great amount of influence, especially in cases involving the enlisted ranks, their welfare and morale. Another custom religiously followed is that a JCO is never addressed using just his name or rank. The word ''sahib'' (sir) is added as a suffix, e.g. a subedar named Pritam Singh would be addressed as either ''Subedar Sahib'' or ''Pritam Singh Sahib''.<ref name="Leadership">{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=V. K. |title=Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers |date=2005 |publisher=SAGE Publishing India |location=India |page=60}}</ref>

==Navy==
Sailors receive a warrant on promotion to the rank of Chief Petty Officer and this is a certificate issued by the Commodore Bureau of Sailors on behalf of the President of India/Pakistan to authenticate the promotion of a sailor to the Chief Petty Officer rank, as the CPO/MCPO II/MCPO I ranks are Junior Commissioned ranks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sainiksamachar.nic.in/englisharchives/2016/dec01-16/h3.htm|title=Chief of Naval Staff's Interview|website=www.sainiksamachar.nic.in}}</ref> The Warrant is made on pre-printed stationery written by hand.

The JCO equivalent (or Chief Petty) ranks in the [[Indian Navy]] and [[Pakistan Navy]] are:
*[[Master Chief Petty Officer]] Class 1<br/>Master Chief Petty Officer (Pakistan)
*Master Chief Petty Officer Class 2<br/>Fleet Chief Petty Officer (Pakistan)
*[[Chief Petty Officer]]

==Air Force==
The JCO equivalent (or Warranted) ranks in the [[Indian Air Force]] and [[Pakistan Air Force]] are:
*[[Master Warrant Officer]]<br/>Chief Warrant Officer (Pakistan)
*[[Warrant Officer]]
*Junior Warrant Officer<br/>Assistant Warrant Officer (Pakistan)

==Honorary commissions==
There is also a custom of giving honorary commissions to deserving JCOs. Every year a list of eligible JCOs is drawn up and honorary commissions awarded to them. This could be at the time of retirement, or when still in service. Honorary commissioned officers may wear the appropriate rank insignia, but they do not become members of the officers' mess. They do, however, receive the pay and pension of their honorary rank. The honorary ranks in the various forces are:

Indian Army:
*Honorary [[Lieutenant]]
*Honorary [[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]]

Indian Navy:
*Honorary [[Sub Lieutenant]]
*Honorary [[Lieutenant]]

Indian Air Force:
*Honorary [[Flying Officer]]
*Honorary [[Flight Lieutenant]]

Generally, in official documents the JCO rank held by the person is also added before the Honorary Commission rank.

==References==
<references />

== Bibliography ==
*{{cite book |last1=Johnson |first1=Rob |title=The British Indian Army:Virtue And Necessity |date=2014|publisher=Cambridge Scholars|location=India}}
*{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=V. K. |title=Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers |date=2005 |publisher=SAGE Publishing India |location=India}}
*{{cite book|last1=Nawaz |first1=Shuja |title=Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army and the Wars Within|date=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Pakistan}}
[[Category:Military ranks of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Military ranks of the Indian Army]]

Junior commissioned officer - Revision history

2405:201:3016:F06A:196A:D936:9FB:3C4D at 08:33, 27 August 2022