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Q69 (IAS/2024) Miscellaneous & General Knowledge › Important Days, Places & Events › Indian defence and forces Official Key

Which of the following is/are correctly matched in terms of equivalent rank in the three services of Indian Defence forces ? 1. Brigadier - Air Commodore - Commander 2. Major General - Air Vice Marshal - Vice Admiral 3. Major - Squadron Leader - Lieutenant Commander 4. Lieutenant Colonel - Group Captain - Captain Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

The correct answer is option D (3 only).

Let us examine each statement:

**Statement 1** claims Brigadier = Air Commodore = Commander. However, Brigadier, Commodore, and Air Commodore[1] are equivalent ranks, meaning the Navy equivalent is Commodore, not Commander. This statement is **incorrect**.

**Statement 2** claims Major General = Air Vice Marshal = Vice Admiral. Major General, Air Vice Marshal, and Rear Admiral are equivalent ranks[3], not Vice Admiral. Vice Admiral is equivalent to Lieutenant General. This statement is **incorrect**.

**Statement 3** claims Major = Squadron Leader = Lieutenant Commander. Major, Squadron Leader, and Lieutenant Commander[6] are[4] indeed equivalent ranks across the three services. This statement is **correct**.

**Statement 4** claims Lieutenant Colonel = Group Captain = Captain. Lieutenant Colonel, Wing Commander, and Captain (IN) are equivalent ranks[7], not Group Captain. Group Captain is equivalent to Colonel. This statement is **incorrect**.

Therefore, only statement 3 is correctly matched.

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PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Which of the following is/are correctly matched in terms of equivalent rank in the three services of Indian Defence forces ? 1. Brigadie…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 10/10
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This question is a classic 'CDS crossover'—easy for defence aspirants, a bouncer for pure civilians. It signals that 'Internal Security' (GS3) includes the administrative structure of the forces, not just missiles and exercises. It tests functional literacy of the state apparatus: you know the hierarchy of courts; you must know the hierarchy of the sword.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Are Brigadier (Indian Army), Air Commodore (Indian Air Force), and Commander (Indian Navy) equivalent ranks in the Indian Defence forces?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Brigadier Commodore Air Commodore"
Why this source?
  • Provides a direct equivalence table for officer ranks across the three services.
  • Lists Brigadier (Army) alongside Commodore (Navy) and Air Commodore (Air Force), showing the Navy equivalent is Commodore, not Commander.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Lieutenant Colonel | Commander | Wing Commander"
Why this source?
  • Shows the row mapping Lieutenant Colonel (Army) to Commander (Navy) and Wing Commander (Air Force).
  • Indicates Commander (Navy) corresponds to Lieutenant Colonel, not Brigadier/Air Commodore, so Commander is not equivalent to Brigadier/Air Commodore.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 8: Fundamental Rights > EI Prohibition of Discrimination on Certain Grounds > p. 80
Strength: 5/5
“Group 'A' / Class I and Group 'B' / Class II Orficers of the All India, Central and State Services; and Employees holding equivalent posts in PSUs, Banks, Insurance Organizations, Universities etc., and also in private employment. • 3. Persons who are in the «Ill k of colonel and above in the Army and equivalent posts in the Navy, the Air Force and the Paramilitary Forces. • 4. Professionals like doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, authors, consultants and so on.”
Why relevant

Explicitly uses phrasing 'rank of colonel and above in the Army and equivalent posts in the Navy, the Air Force', showing that ranks across services are described in terms of 'equivalent posts'.

How to extend

A student could use this rule to look up where Brigadier and Air Commodore lie relative to 'colonel and above' and then compare the Navy's listed 'equivalent posts' to judge equivalence.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 92: World Constitutions > 714 P Indian Polity > p. 715
Strength: 4/5
“Tobie o(Precedence 21 715 Members, Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission Members, Union Public SelVice Commission Ministers of Union Territories and Executive Councillors, Delhi, outside their respective Union Thrritories 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.”
Why relevant

Mentions 'Officers of the rank of Major-General or equivalent rank' indicating official practice of mapping one service's rank to equivalents in others for precedence and protocol.

How to extend

One could extend this by consulting official precedence/appointment lists (which map Major-General to equivalents) and then locate Brigadier/Air Commodore/Commander within that mapped hierarchy.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 92: World Constitutions > 714 P Indian Polity > p. 714
Strength: 3/5
“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, Thriff Commission Charged 'Affairs and Acting High Commissioners a pied and ad interim Chief Ministers of Union Territories and Chief Executive Councillor, Delhi , outside their respective Un ion Territories Chief Secretaries of State Governments out side their respective States Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General Deputy Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories and Deput y 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 Lieu te na n t Gove rnors o utside the ir respective Union Te rritories Members, Central Judiciary Tribunal”
Why relevant

Similarly cites 'Officers of the rank of Lieutenant General or equivalent rank', reinforcing that multi-service equivalence is used in official lists.

How to extend

A student could apply this pattern to find where Brigadier/Air Commodore/Commander fall relative to Lieutenant General/other ranks to infer equivalence or non-equivalence.

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

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Statement analysis

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