Defination of Gazetted Officers in India

A gazetted officer is a civil servant and the authority to stamp comes from president of India.
In India, Gazette is published on regular bases, it is a official Central Government Publication(nicked name Gazette). It publishes the promotions of of certain government official.

If a person's name is published in the Gazette, he/she is called Gazetted, in most cases they are honorary Justice of peace and have same standing as some of the Magistrates. This is why their signatures on certain document are recognised.
Therefore gazetted officer is an officer in Indian government service whose signature is required for attesting certificate copies & photograps of a person.

The Indian government officials are classified into Class C,D,B and A. The Class C and D consist of Upperdivision and lowerdivison clerks grade. Grade B and A belong to the class of officers whose transfer, appointment, promotion and supperannuation is published on an yearly basis in the official gazatte.These officials belong to the managerial class of the government services and belong to the policy formulation, policy implementation, personnel management and the like. Such officers, among other functions have also in their jurisdiction, the power to verify the documents for academic and other purposes

Any catagory of persons who are listed in "Gazette of India" are Gezetted. As simple as that..!!


Governments categorise their employees from Class 1 to 4.

Class 4: Unskilled or semiskilled.

eg. Peon, attender, driver, gardener, Lans Naik, Naik etc


Class 3: Semi skilled with no decision making authority.

eg. Clerk, Head clerk, Assistant, Typist, Stenographer, Telephone operator, Havaldar, Havaldar major and NCOs, etc


Class2: Officers with some supervisory/managerial role.

eg. Section Officer, BDO, Tahsildar, Junior doctors, Assistant Executive Engineer, Lecturers in Government colleges, Headmaster of Government high schools, Junior Doctors in Government hospitals, 2nd Lieutenant to Major, etc


Class 1: Executive power vested officers,with decision making powers.

All India services, though posted to states; promotees from states to the cadre of Assistant Commissioner and above and to the cadre of All India services ; Police officers of Circle Inspector and above; Additional District Civil surgeons, Executive Engineers and above, District Medical Officer and above, Lt.Col. and above, Principals of Government colleges and above, Readers and above of Universities, etc.

Nationalised bank officials are not gazetted officers but protocol ranks exist.

Among the powers and responsibilities of a Gazetted Officer, are the certifications and authentification of photo copies etc. That's why we go to them for attesting our copies where they actually have to see an original of that and certify that the copy is the actual copy of the original as seen by them.