Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Celebrated Its 46th Raising Day:
On 1st February 2022, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) celebrated its 46th Raising Day.
- ICG was established in August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 as an independent Armed force of India.
- As the fourth largest Coast Guard in the world, it has played a significant role in securing the Indian coasts and enforcing regulations in the maritime zones of India.
ICG:
- It is an Armed Force, Search and Rescue and Maritime Law Enforcement agency under the Ministry of Defence.
- It is headquartered in New Delhi.
- The concept of forming ICG came into being after the 1971 war.
- The blueprint for a multidimensional Coast Guard was conceived by the visionary Rustamji Committee.
- For effective command and control, the Maritime Zones of India are divided into five Coast Guard Regions, namely, North-West, West, East, North-East and Andaman & Nicobar, with the respective Regional Headquarters located at Gandhinagar, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Port Blair. .
- One of the primary duties of the ICG is prevention of smuggling through maritime routes.
- It has jurisdiction over the territorial waters of India including contiguous zone and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
- It is responsible for marine environment protection in maritime zones of India and is coordinating authority for response to oil spills in Indian waters.
- It is also working in close coordination with Central and State agencies to put in place a robust coastal security mechanism.
- It is also collaborating with littoral countries to combat transnational maritime crimes and enhance maritime safety in its area of responsibility and in the Indian Ocean Region.
- Under SAGAR’ – Security and Growth for all in the Region & ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, the ICG has nurtured professional relationships across oceans and established ties with countries in the Indian Ocean Region for Ocean Peacekeeping.
- The ICG has successfully averted major ecological disasters and emerged as the ‘First Responder’ in the region.
