New Delhi. First of all let’s talk about Honorary Captain/Lieutenant on active service. So under gazette notification number 01 (E), this honor has been given to the junior commissioned officers working on active duty. In this category, 437 senior JCOs from various branches like Armored Corps, Artillery, Engineers, Intelligence, Military Police, Pioneer Corps, Defense Security Corps and Territorial Army have been made Honorary Captains and 1804 officers have been made Honorary Lieutenants. This honor is given to those soldiers whose service record has been completely satisfactory and against whom no disciplinary action was pending.
After this, the second biggest category is that of Honorary Captain/Lieutenant at the time of retirement. As per Gazette Notification No. 02(E), 4014 JCOs in this category have been given this honorary rank on completion of their service. These include Subedar Major, Risaldar Major and Subedar level soldiers, who have served in different units and regiments of the army for a long time. This list includes a large number of soldiers from Armored Corps, Artillery, Engineers, Army Educational Corps, Defense Security Corps and Territorial Army.
The third and largest category is that of Honorary Naib Risaldar/Honorary Subedar. Under Gazette Notification No. 03 (E), 805 NCOs have been given this honour. These include Havildar, Dafedar and Naib Subedar level soldiers, who have served in field areas, border areas and operational units for many years. This category was the largest in terms of numbers, which shows that the Army gives equal respect to its lower and middle level leadership.
Overall, on Republic Day 2026, thousands of soldiers have been formally honored for their long, loyal and exemplary service by giving them honorary ranks at various levels.
What is honorary rank?
Honorary rank is a special honorary rank given in the Indian Army. It is given to those soldiers who have served the country with honesty, discipline and dedication for a long time. The rank does not confer actual command or operational power, but gives official recognition to the soldier’s entire service.
Honorary rank is given in two ways. First, during active service, such as Honorary Captain or Honorary Lieutenant. Secondly, at the time of retirement, when the soldier leaves his unit. Usually this honor is announced on national occasions like Republic Day and Independence Day.
What are the benefits of honorary rank?
The biggest practical benefit of honorary rank is related to pension. For example, if a Subedar becomes an Honorary Lieutenant, his pension is fixed in line with the higher rank. Under the current 7th Pay Commission and One Rank One Pension, this increase can be around 10 to 20 percent, depending on the service period and last rank of the person.
Furthermore, social and protocol respect is also a big advantage. After retirement, a soldier can use an honorary rank in his name, such as “Honorary Captain” or “Honorary Subedar”. They get high position and respect in military programs and official events, which increases their prestige in the family and society.
Talking about facilities like medical facilities and canteen, ECHS Medical Scheme, CSD Canteen and Travel Concession continue as before. However, as the rank increases, the protocol and facility level improves in some cases.