International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day, 2023:
On 16 September 2023, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day, 2023 across all Coastal States and UTs.
- Since 2006, the day has been held worldwide on the 3rd Saturday of September, annually, under the aegis of the UNEP and South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) (in South Asian Region).
- This year, Maharashtra witnessed the highest participation of volunteers followed by Tamil Nadu.
- The ICG was established in August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 as an independent Armed force of India.
- The concept of forming ICG came into being after the 1971 war and the blueprint for a multidimensional Coast Guard was conceived by the visionary Rustamji Committee (1974).
- It is the 4th largest Coast Guard in the world and is headquartered in New Delhi.
- It functions under the Ministry of Defence.
