Quick answer
The Nepal Army has 21 ranks on its own list. Thirteen are officer ranks, from Officer Cadet and Second Lieutenant (सहायक सेनानी) up to General (महारथी), the Chief of the Army Staff. Eight are other ranks: Followers, Private (सिपाही), Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, Jamadar, Subedar and Subedar Major (प्रमुख सुवेदार).
Nepal Army ranks are Nepali first — सेनानी, रथी, हुद्दा — and the English names in news reports, vacancy notices and salary tables do not always say which is which. Below is the Army's own list in order, what each Nepali name means, how to tell a rank from its badge, and the 2083/84 starting pay beside the APF and Police ranks at par.
On this page
Nepal Army ranks in order
Highest first, as the Nepali Army lists them. Starting pay is the basic salary a month on the scale from 1 Shrawan 2083, before grades and allowances — the Nepal Army salary page has the grades and the total for each rank.
| # | Rank | नेपाली | Starting pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General (Chief of the Army Staff) | महारथी (प्रधानसेनापती) (Maharathi (Pradhan Senapati)) | रु 84,932 |
| 2 | Lieutenant General | रथी (Rathi) | रु 81,643 |
| 3 | Major General | उप रथी (Upa Rathi) | रु 79,290 |
| 4 | Brigadier General | सहायक रथी (Sahayak Rathi) | रु 67,045 |
| 5 | Colonel | महासेनानी (Maha Senani) | रु 62,466 |
| 6 | Lieutenant Colonel | प्रमुख सेनानी (Pramukh Senani) | रु 57,507 |
| 7 | Major | सेनानी (Senani) | रु 53,611 |
| 8 | Captain | सह-सेनानी (Saha Senani) | रु 51,929 |
| 9 | Honorary Captain | मानार्थ सह-सेनानी (Manartha Saha Senani) | रु 47,603 |
| 10 | Lieutenant | उप सेनानी (Upa Senani) | रु 49,613 |
| 11 | Honorary Lieutenant | मानार्थ उप सेनानी (Manartha Upa Senani) | रु 46,628 |
| 12 | Second Lieutenant | सहायक सेनानी (Sahayak Senani) | रु 48,058 |
| 13 | Officer Cadet | अधिकृत क्याडेट (Adhikrit Cadet) | रु 47,960 |
| 14 | Subedar Major | प्रमुख सुवेदार (Pramukh Subedar) | रु 45,098 |
| 15 | Warrant Officer First Class (Subedar) | सुवेदार (Subedar) | रु 38,203 |
| 16 | Warrant Officer Second Class (Jamadar) | जमदार (Jamadar) | रु 36,142 |
| 17 | Sergeant | हुद्दा (Hudda) | रु 31,372 |
| 18 | Corporal | अमल्दार (Amaldar) | रु 30,373 |
| 19 | Lance Corporal | प्यूठ (Pyuth) | रु 29,297 |
| 20 | Private | सिपाही (Sipahi) | रु 28,690 |
| 21 | Followers | फलोअर्स (Followers) | — |
How to read a Nepal Army rank badge
An officer's badge is built from three devices, and each device covers three ranks. Learn the pattern and every badge reads itself.
Nepal Army rank badges · नेपाली सेनाको दर्जा चिन्ह
General officers · रथी
- Generalमहारथी
- Lieutenant Generalरथी
- Major Generalउप रथी
- Brigadier Generalसहायक रथी
Senior officers · सेनानी
- Colonelमहासेनानी
- Lieutenant Colonelप्रमुख सेनानी
- Majorसेनानी
Junior officers · कनिष्ठ अधिकृत
- Captainसह-सेनानी
- Honorary Captainमानार्थ सह-सेनानी
- Lieutenantउप सेनानी
- Honorary Lieutenantमानार्थ उप सेनानी
- Second Lieutenantसहायक सेनानी
- Officer Cadetअधिकृत क्याडेट
Subedars and Jamadar · सुवेदार, जमदार
- Subedar Majorप्रमुख सुवेदार
- Warrant Officer First Classसुवेदार
- Warrant Officer Second Classजमदार
Soldiers · सैनिक
- Sergeantहुद्दा
- Corporalअमल्दार
- Lance Corporalप्यूठ
- Privateसिपाही
- Followersफलोअर्स
careerkyt.com/guides/nepal-army-ranks · simplified drawings
- Crossed khukuris — the three junior officers: Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain.
- A sword on crossed khukuris — the three senior officers: Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel.
- Crossed khukuris in a wreath — the generals: Brigadier General, Major General, Lieutenant General.
- In each set the lowest rank wears the device alone, the next adds a moon, the highest adds the moon and the sun. A Lieutenant is the moon over crossed khukuris; a Colonel the moon and sun over the sword.
- The Chief of the Army Staff adds a sword inside the wreath, with the moon and sun above.
- Jamadar, Subedar, Subedar Major wear no khukuris: the sun, the moon, then both.
- Sergeant, Corporal, Lance Corporal: three, two and one stripes. The Army's chart shows no badge for a Private, a Follower or an Officer Cadet.
- An honorary Captain or Lieutenant wears that rank's badge with a red and yellow band at its foot.
What the Nepali rank names mean
The officer names are two words with a prefix. रथी is a charioteer and सेनानी a commander; the prefix places the rank within its set — सहायक (assistant) is always the lowest and महा (great) the highest, with उप (deputy), सह (co-) and प्रमुख (chief) between.
| Nepali | Said | Word for word | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| महारथी (प्रधानसेनापती) | Maharathi (Pradhan Senapati) | great charioteer (chief commander) | General |
| रथी | Rathi | charioteer | Lieutenant General |
| उप रथी | Upa Rathi | deputy charioteer | Major General |
| सहायक रथी | Sahayak Rathi | assistant charioteer | Brigadier General |
| महासेनानी | Maha Senani | great commander | Colonel |
| प्रमुख सेनानी | Pramukh Senani | chief commander | Lieutenant Colonel |
| सेनानी | Senani | commander | Major |
| सह-सेनानी | Saha Senani | co-commander | Captain |
| मानार्थ सह-सेनानी | Manartha Saha Senani | honorary co-commander | Honorary Captain |
| उप सेनानी | Upa Senani | deputy commander | Lieutenant |
| मानार्थ उप सेनानी | Manartha Upa Senani | honorary deputy commander | Honorary Lieutenant |
| सहायक सेनानी | Sahayak Senani | assistant commander | Second Lieutenant |
| अधिकृत क्याडेट | Adhikrit Cadet | officer cadet | Officer Cadet |
Nepal Army ranks at par with APF and Nepal Police ranks
The Armed Police Force's own rank page sets each of its ranks at par with an Army rank and gives its civil-service class. Nepal Police ranks have the same names and the same pay as the APF's; Nepal Police's page publishes no comparison of its own.
| Nepal Army | APF and Police rank at par | Class | Army pay | APF and Police pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant General | Inspector General (IG) | Gazetted Special Class | रु 81,643 | रु 79,290 |
| Major General | Additional Inspector General (AIG) | Gazetted Special Class | रु 79,290 | रु 79,290 |
| Brigadier General | Deputy Inspector General (DIG) | Gazetted 1st Class | रु 67,045 | रु 67,045 |
| Colonel | Senior Superintendent (SSP) | Gazetted 1st Class | रु 62,466 | रु 62,466 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Superintendent (SP) | Gazetted 2nd Class | रु 57,507 | रु 57,507 |
| Major | Deputy Superintendent (DSP) | Gazetted 2nd Class | रु 53,611 | रु 53,611 |
| Lieutenant | Inspector (INS) | Gazetted 3rd Class | रु 49,613 | रु 48,058 |
| Subedar Major | Senior Sub Inspector (SSI) | Non Gazetted 1st Class | रु 45,098 | रु 45,098 |
| Warrant Officer First Class | Sub Inspector (SI) | Non Gazetted 1st Class | रु 38,203 | रु 38,203 |
| Warrant Officer Second Class | Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) | Non Gazetted 2nd Class | रु 36,142 | रु 36,142 |
| Sergeant | Senior Head Constable (SHC) | Non Gazetted 3rd Class | रु 31,372 | रु 31,372 |
| Corporal | Head Constable (HC) | Non Gazetted 3rd Class | रु 30,373 | रु 30,373 |
| Lance Corporal | Assistant Head Constable (AHC) | Non Gazetted 3rd Class | रु 29,297 | रु 29,209 |
| Private | Constable (Constable) | Non Gazetted 4th Class | रु 28,690 | रु 28,690 |
Badges, rank by rank
The same badges in words, for anyone who cannot see the drawings or wants to search for one.
| Rank | नेपाली | Badge |
|---|---|---|
| General | महारथी (प्रधानसेनापती) | Moon and sun above a sword and crossed khukuris in a wreath |
| Lieutenant General | रथी | Moon and sun above crossed khukuris in a wreath |
| Major General | उप रथी | Moon above crossed khukuris in a wreath |
| Brigadier General | सहायक रथी | Crossed khukuris in a wreath |
| Colonel | महासेनानी | Moon and sun above a sword on crossed khukuris |
| Lieutenant Colonel | प्रमुख सेनानी | Moon above a sword on crossed khukuris |
| Major | सेनानी | A sword on crossed khukuris |
| Captain | सह-सेनानी | Moon and sun above crossed khukuris |
| Honorary Captain | मानार्थ सह-सेनानी | Moon and sun above crossed khukuris, with a red and yellow band at the foot |
| Lieutenant | उप सेनानी | Moon above crossed khukuris |
| Honorary Lieutenant | मानार्थ उप सेनानी | Moon above crossed khukuris, with a red and yellow band at the foot |
| Second Lieutenant | सहायक सेनानी | Crossed khukuris |
| Officer Cadet | अधिकृत क्याडेट | No badge |
| Subedar Major | प्रमुख सुवेदार | Moon and sun |
| Warrant Officer First Class | सुवेदार | Moon |
| Warrant Officer Second Class | जमदार | Sun |
| Sergeant | हुद्दा | 3 stripes |
| Corporal | अमल्दार | 2 stripes |
| Lance Corporal | प्यूठ | 1 stripe |
| Private | सिपाही | No badge |
| Followers | फलोअर्स | No badge |
Common questions
How many ranks are there in the Nepal Army?
21 on the Army's own list: 13 officer ranks (Officer Cadet, Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier General, Major General, Lieutenant General and General, plus honorary Lieutenant and Captain) and 8 other ranks (Followers, Private, Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, Jamadar, Subedar, Subedar Major).
What is the highest rank in the Nepal Army?
General (महारथी), held by the Chief of the Army Staff (प्रधानसेनापति). Its starting pay on the 2083/84 scale is रु 84,932 a month, the same as the government's Chief Secretary.
What is Senani in English?
सेनानी (Senani) is a Major; the word means commander. Sahayak Senani is a Second Lieutenant, Upa Senani a Lieutenant, Saha Senani a Captain, Pramukh Senani a Lieutenant Colonel and Maha Senani a Colonel.
What is Sahayak Rathi in English?
सहायक रथी (Sahayak Rathi) is a Brigadier General, the lowest of the general ranks. Upa Rathi is a Major General, Rathi a Lieutenant General and Maharathi a General.
Is a Subedar an officer in the Nepal Army?
Not on the Army's own list: Subedar Major, Subedar and Jamadar are the top three of the other ranks, above the Sergeant, and their English titles are Subedar Major and Warrant Officer First and Second Class. A Subedar starts on रु 38,203, the same as a Police Sub-Inspector.
Which Nepal Police rank is equal to an Army Major?
A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). The Armed Police Force's rank page sets its DSP at par with a Major, in Gazetted 2nd Class, and Police and APF ranks share their names and pay. A DSP and a Major both start on रु 53,611.
What do the moon and the sun on a Nepal Army badge mean?
They step a rank up within its set. Crossed khukuris alone are a Second Lieutenant, with a moon a Lieutenant, with the moon and sun a Captain; the same steps run from Major to Colonel on the sword and from Brigadier General to Lieutenant General in the wreath.
What is the lowest rank in the Nepal Army?
Followers (फलोअर्स), then Private (सिपाही). A Private starts on रु 28,690 a month on the 2083/84 scale; a recruit is paid रु 27,172.
In this topic
Salary in Nepal
The government pay scale, what each job pays, and the tax, SSF and bonus that come off or on top.
Salary in Nepal: average, minimum and government pay — the whole subject in one place
Government pay scale
- Government salary scale 2083/84
- Civil service salary
- Nepal Police salary
- Nepal Police ranks and badges
- Nepal Army salary
- Nepal Army ranks, in English and Nepali
- APF salary
- APF ranks and badges
- Government teacher salary scale
- Health service salary
- Local level salary
Pay by job
- Minimum salary in Nepal
- Teacher salary
- Nurse salary
- Doctor salary
- Engineer salary
- Bank salary
- Dubai salary in Nepali rupees
Work it out
