India’s Coast Guard (ICG) is responsible for maritime law enforcement, search and rescue in national waters, including territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. A law of the Indian Parliament called the Coast Guard Act, 1978 established the Indian Coast Guard on 1 February 1977. The Ministry of Defence administers it. 

The Indian Navy proposed the creation of the Indian Coast Guard to provide maritime services other than military ones to the country. India’s domestic economy was under threat from seaborne goods smuggling in the 1960s. In the Indian Customs Department’s effort to combat smuggling, the Indian Navy often provides patrols and intercepts. Several years ago, the Nagchoudhuri committee suggested that India’s coasts should be patrolled, offshore fishing vessels should have a registry to identify illegal activity, and a capable and well-equipped force should be given the task of intercepting such vessels. On July 31, 1975, a committee recommended the creation of the Indian Coast Guard under the Ministry of Defence. 

A Short Note On The Ranks Of The Indian Coast Guard

Coast Guard officers are ranked the same way as officers of the Central Armed Police Force. Depending on their branch of duty, Coast Guard officers are either General-Duty officers, Pilot Officers, Technical Officers, or Law Officers.

  • Director General: The Indian Coast Guard is headed by the Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (DG ICG). Three-star rank holders hold the position of Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, which is not in and of itself a rank. The title is equivalent to that of Vice Admiral of the Indian Navy, Lieutenant General of the Indian Army and Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force. The current Director General of the Indian Coast Guard is Virender Singh Pathania. In addition to his directorial duties at Coast Guard Headquarters, he is currently an Additional Director General. 
  • Inspector General: Inspection General Officers are in charge of the Coast Guard regions. For the Coast Guard to be able to recruit quality officers and EPs, high standards are set during the screening process. Induction into the service is only available to qualified candidates, as the selection process is very rigid. The officers and enlisted members of the Coast Guard are dedicated and professional. 
  • Deputy Inspector General: The Deputy Inspector General is equivalent to the Commodore in the Navy, as well as the Captain in the Navy. 
  • Commandant: The Commandant in the Indian Coast Guard is equivalent to the commander in the navy.  
  • Assistant Commandant: Under the Assistant Commandant, three positions are available. These ranks are equivalent to those of lieutenant in the Navy, lieutenant in the Acting Navy, and midshipman in the Navy.

Indian Coast Guard Recruitment

Among the steps of the selection process for Indian Coast Guard Navik  are: written examination, physical fitness test, medical examination round, and document verification. India’s Coast Guard 2022 selection process includes four stages:

  • The first stage of the recruitment process is the written examination, which is common to all posts.
  • The candidate will be invited to Stage II based on their performance in Stage I. This stage consists of the Physical Fitness Test (pass/fail), Document Verification (pass/fail), Reassessment of Inconsistent Performers (pass/fail), and the Initial Medical Examination.
  • During Stage III, a final merit list will be prepared based on the candidates’ performance in Stage I and II, along with an e-admit card for Stage III (final medicals at INS Chilka), as determined by the Indira Gandhi government.
  • In the final stage, all candidate documents and educational certificates are verified.

INS Chilka recruits candidates for final training after completing all four stages of selection.

Conclusion

In addition to the Indian Navy, the Department of Fisheries, the Department of Revenue (Customs), and the state and federal police forces, the Coast Guard works closely with all of them. Among the other coast guards in the world, the Indian Coast Guard conducts joint exercises. An ICG ( Indian Coast Guard) liaison link was established with Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) in May 2005. Exercises with its Japanese and Korean counterparts were held in 2006 by the Indian Coast Guard. A programme was initiated by the Indian government following the 2008 Mumbai attacks to increase the force, assets, and infrastructure of the Indian Coast Guard. As of 2023, the Navy wants to have 200 ships and 100 twin-engine aircraft.