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Order of Precedence in India
Definition: A protocol list that defines the relative ranking (or seniority) of key officials and dignitaries for ceremonial and official events.
1. High-Ranking Officials: Nationwide Hierarchy
The following officials are listed in their general order of seniority across India.
- Speaker of the Lok Sabha
- Former President of India
- Chief Justice of India
- Union Cabinet Minister
- Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) / Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)
- Note: The CEC and CAG hold the same rank.
- Cabinet Secretary
Key Exception for Governors:
- A Governor of a State, when within their respective state, ranks above the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and a Former President.
2. Specific Role: The Cabinet Secretary
- Role: The topmost and highest-ranking civilian officer in the Government of India.
- Status: The senior-most bureaucrat in the Indian administrative system.
- Hierarchy: Ranks above the Home Secretary, Defence Secretary, and the Lt. Governor of Delhi in the official hierarchy.
3. Relative Ranking of Other Key Officials
The following officials are ranked lower than those mentioned in the nationwide hierarchy.
- Lower than the Chief Justice of India:
- Attorney General of India
- Chief of Staff (holding the rank of General or equivalent)
- Lower than a Governor (within their own state):
- Deputy Prime Minister (if the post exists)
- Lower than the CEC / CAG:
- Chairman of the UPSC
- Chief Justice of a High Court
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