Assistant commandant
Military and paramilitary rank
Assistant Commandant is a title often given to the second-in-command of a military, uniformed service, armed police battalion, training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations, and in some countries it may be a military or police rank.
In India, assistant commandant as a rank was envisaged by General J. N. Chaudhuri, who was part of the committee studying the need for a dedicated Border Guarding force raised on military lines to guard the perilous India-Pakistan border given the UN conventions deriding and preventing military formations or build-up on the borders between the two un-friendly neighbors. General J. N. Chaudhuri recommended to raise the officer cadre of the Border Security Force on lines of the military hierarchy and hence assistant commandant, which otherwise is an appointment in most countries, came up as the junior-most rank in the hierarchy of Gazetted officers of the Border Security Force.
The rank of Assistant Commandant is used in both the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and various State Armed Police Forces in India. In the hierarchy of an armed police battalion, an Assistant Commandant typically serves as the third-in-command, subordinate to the Commandant and Deputy Commandant.
For its exclusivity and unique hierarchical association with Indian Paramilitary Forces of India, assistant commandant, for comparative understanding, is equivalent to the ranks of assistant commissioner of police (ACP), deputy superintendent of police (DSP), and captain in the Indian Army. This rank is the highest entry level rank in the Central Armed Police Forces of India. It is also use in various State Armed Police Forces.
Assistant commandants in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) are selected through a competitive exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) annually.
Assistant commandants are mandated to command companies and Direct Action Teams (DATs) in various CAPFs and law enforcement agencies, They are also sent on deputations to various organizations such as RAW, NSG, SPG, NIA, IB, CBI, NDRF, NCB, State Armed Police Forces (SAPFs) (DRG, Jharkhand Jaguars, Bihar military police, IRB, UP/MP STFs, etc.).
01Pay scale of assistant commandants in CAPFs
| Rank | Pay Scale | Pay Band |
|---|---|---|
| Director-General | INR 2,25,000 | Apex Fixed |
| Additional Director General | INR 1,82,200 to INR 2,24,100 | HAG |
| Inspector General | INR 1,44,000 to INR 2,18,000 | Pay Band 4 |
| Deputy Inspector General | INR 1,31,000 - INR 2,15,900 | Pay Band 4 |
| Commandant | INR 1,31,000 - INR 2,15,986. | Pay Band 4 |
| Second-in-Command | INR 78,800 - INR 2,09,200 | Pay Band 3 |
| Deputy Commandant | INR 67,700 - INR 2,08,870 | Pay Band 3 |
| Assistant Commandant | INR 56,100 - 1,77,500 | Pay Band 3 |
02Subordinate officers (SOs)
Sub-inspectors are recruited through competitive examination conducted by Staff Selection Commission and they are referred to as DASOs (directly appointed subordinate officers). DESOs (departmental entry subordinate officers) are those officers who have been promoted through departmental exams conducted internally for inspectors, sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors, head constables, constables etc.
03Promotional avenues for Gazetted officers
After joining service as assistant commandant the following promotional avenues are available to cadre officers:-
| Rank | Qualifying service for promotion |
|---|---|
| Dy. Commandant. | 5 years as Asstt. Commandnat. |
| Second-In-Command | 5 years as Dy.Commandant (with total 10 years Group ‘A’ service). |
| Commandant | 5 years as Second-In-Command (with 15 years Group ‘A’ service) |
| DIG | 3 years as Commandant (with 20 years Group ‘A’ service) |
| IG | 3 years as DIG (24 years Group ‘A’ service) |
| ADG | 30 years of Group 'A' service. |
04United States
In the United States, assistant commandant is an appointment, not a rank. A common use of the term is for the position of assistant commandant of the Marine Corps. Appointments to this position are held by officers with the rank of general. Officers who hold this appointment are the second highest ranking officers in the United States Marine Corps after the commandant of the Marine Corps
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Assistant commandant”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh reviewing the Passing Out Parade of the Assistant Commandants at the BSF Academy, Tekanpur, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.jpg by Ministry of Home Affairs, GODL-India
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