The rank of Captain in the Indian Navy is equivalent to which one of the following ranks in the Indian Armed Forces?

Introduction / Context:
The Indian Armed Forces consist of three services: the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Each service has its own rank structure, but many ranks have equivalents across services for purposes of seniority and command. Understanding these equivalences is important for defence awareness and often appears in general knowledge questions. This question asks which rank is equivalent to Captain in the Indian Navy.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question focuses on the rank of Captain in the Indian Navy.
• Four possible equivalents from the Army and Air Force are given: Captain (Army), Group Captain (Air Force), Lieutenant Colonel (Army) and Wing Commander (Air Force).
• We assume basic familiarity with the hierarchy of officer ranks across the three services.

Concept / Approach:
Officer ranks across the services can be broadly mapped. In the Army, the sequence is Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier and so on. In the Navy, the corresponding sequence is Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain, Commodore, etc. In the Air Force, the sequence includes Squadron Leader, Wing Commander, Group Captain, Air Commodore and so on. Captain in the Indian Navy aligns in seniority and insignia pattern with Colonel in the Indian Army and Group Captain in the Indian Air Force. Among the options, only Group Captain matches this equivalence.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the mid-senior officer ranks in the Indian Army: Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier. Step 2: Recall the corresponding mid-senior ranks in the Indian Navy: Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain, Commodore. Step 3: Recall the mid-senior ranks in the Indian Air Force: Squadron Leader, Wing Commander, Group Captain, Air Commodore. Step 4: Recognise that Captain (Navy) is equivalent to Colonel (Army) and Group Captain (Air Force) in terms of seniority and star ranking. Step 5: Examine the options: Captain (Army) is a much more junior rank, equivalent to Lieutenant (Navy) and Flight Lieutenant (Air Force), so option A is incorrect. Step 6: Lieutenant Colonel (Army) corresponds more closely to Commander (Navy) and Wing Commander (Air Force), so option C is not equivalent to a Navy Captain. Step 7: Wing Commander (Air Force) is also at the Lieutenant Colonel/Commander level, below Group Captain, making option D incorrect. Step 8: Group Captain (Air Force) lines up with Colonel (Army) and Captain (Navy), making option B correct.

Verification / Alternative check:
Defence reference charts that show rank equivalence across services typically place Army Colonel, Navy Captain and Air Force Group Captain in the same row, often noting them as “one star” officers in some conventions (before moving to Brigadier/Commodore/Air Commodore). These charts never equate Navy Captain with Army Captain or Wing Commander, confirming that the equivalence is with Group Captain in the Air Force and Colonel in the Army. Since Colonel is not listed among the options, Group Captain is the correct choice from the given list.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Captain in the Indian Army is a junior commissioned officer rank, roughly equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Navy, not to a Navy Captain.
• Lieutenant Colonel in the Army is more comparable to a Commander in the Navy and a Wing Commander in the Air Force, one level below Colonel/Captain/Group Captain.
• Wing Commander in the Air Force is similarly placed at the same level as Lieutenant Colonel and Commander, not at the Captain/Colonel/Group Captain level.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent source of confusion is that the same word “Captain” is used in both the Army and Navy but denotes very different levels of seniority. Another pitfall is to assume that ranks with the word “Commander” must always be the highest among the options. To avoid such mistakes, candidates should memorise a simple equivalence ladder: Army Colonel = Navy Captain = Air Force Group Captain, and Army Captain = Navy Lieutenant = Air Force Flight Lieutenant.

Final Answer:
Group Captain in the Indian Air Force