Junior commissioned officer

Junior commissioned officer (JCO) is a group of military ranks which is higher than havildar (non-commissioned officer) and lower than lieutenant (commissioned officer). The term is only used by Nepal, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Senior havildars are promoted to JCO rank on the basis of merit and seniority, restricted by the number of vacancies. JCOs are treated as a separate class and hold additional privileges. The term was primarily associated with armies; however, since the 2000s, India and Pakistan's navies and air forces have also used the term to indicate their chief petty officers and warrant officers.