Indian Coast Guard (ICG)

Why in News?

The Indian Coast Guard rescued two foreign nationals from the U.S.-registered yacht stranded in rough seas near Great Nicobar due to sail and engine failure. The operation was coordinated by MRCC Port Blair and executed by ICGS Rajveer.

Description:

• Established: August 1978 under the Coast Guard Act, 1978.
• Status: An independent Armed Force under the Ministry of Defence.
• HQ: New Delhi.
• Origin: Concept proposed after 1971 Indo-Pak war.
• Visionary behind idea: Rustamji Committee laid the blueprint for a multidimensional maritime force.

Organisational Structure:

• India’s maritime zones are divided into five Coast Guard Regions:
  • North-West – Gandhinagar
  • West – Mumbai
  • East – Chennai
  • North-East – Kolkata
  • Andaman & Nicobar – Port Blair
• Fourth-largest Coast Guard in the world.

Key Functions of ICG:

1.    Maritime Law Enforcement:

• Prevents smuggling through maritime routes.
• Jurisdiction: Territorial Waters, Contiguous Zone, and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• Acts as maritime police enforcing laws in India’s waters.

2.   Environmental Protection:

• Ensures marine environment protection.
• Nodal agency for oil spill response in Indian waters.
• Has prevented major ecological disasters (e.g., Sagar Aaraksha-II near Sri Lanka during fire on MV X-Press Pearl).

3.   Search & Rescue (SAR):

• Performs Search and Rescue operations in maritime zones.
• Recognised as ‘First Responder’ in maritime emergencies.

4.   Aid to Civil Authority:

• Assists civil administration during natural disasters (floods, cyclones, etc.).
• Has rescued over 13,000 individuals.
• Recent operations during floods in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa.

5.   Coastal & Maritime Security:

• Works with Central and State agencies to enhance coastal security infrastructure.
• Coordinates with littoral countries to combat:
  • Transnational crimes (piracy, human trafficking, narcotics)
  • Illegal fishing and marine terrorism

6.   International Cooperation:

• Implements SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).
• Promotes Neighbourhood First Policy through:
  • Ocean peacekeeping
  • Professional exchanges with Indian Ocean Region (IOR) countries

Strategic Significance:

• Plays a critical role in:
  • India’s maritime domain awareness
  • Blue economy protection
  • Countering China’s maritime expansion in the IOR

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