Indian Coast Guard Day 2024: Theme, History, Duties

Annually, February 1 is designated as Indian Coast Guard Day. Unlike the Indian Navy, the Indian Coast Guard is an armed group of the country that defends marine resources and enforces regulations.

Despite being the 4th biggest Coast Guard, the Indian Coast Guard has figured prominently in protecting Indian coastlines and implementing maritime laws inside Indian maritime zones.

Indian Coast Guard Day 2024 Date

Day	Indian Coast Guard Day 2024
Date	1^st February 2024
Day	Thursday

Who is a Coast Guard?

A nation’s coast guard is a marine unit tasked with enforcing maritime regulations and providing assistance to ships in trouble near or on its shores. As a deterrent against smugglers in the early nineteenth century, these armies were created.

A coast guard could also be in charge of maintaining lighthouse, markers, as well as other navigation systems, as well as providing emergency assistance to commercial mariners and those who have been affected by natural disasters like floods and storms.. Ice breaking in interior rivers and gathering and disseminating weather information on storms, floods, and storms are among the tasks of certain governments’ coast guards.

Indian Coast Guard Day History

The Indian Navy, which has been pleading with the Indian government since 1960 for the formation of an auxiliary service for Maritime Law Enforcement and to offer non-military maritime services to the country, originally introduced the idea of an Indian Coast Guard. Exclusive Economic Zones were established in 1972 by the United Nations Convention on Regulations of the Sea.

To assert its title to the Exclusive Economic Zone, the Indian Union adopted the Maritime Zones of India Act 1976. The Indian Navy brought up the topic of establishing an Indian Coast Guard due to the obvious economic havoc caused by maritime trafficking. Authorities enlisted the help of the Navy to help with patrols and intercepts to combat this issue. Since there was a vacuum between the Bureau of customs, state and central police, and Indian Coast Guard, it was decided to create a new force.

By 1 February 1977, the Indian Coast Guard was established, with two vessels and five patrol boats at its disposal. The command’s first Director-General was Admiral V A Kamath, a naval officer from the Indian Navy. On February 1, 2022, the Indian Coast Guard will commemorate its 46th Raising Day. Until 2025, the ICG plans to have 200 land vessels and 80 airplanes in its arsenal, up from the existing 156 vessels and 62 airplanes.

Indian Coast Guard Responsibilities & Duties

When the Coast Guard was in its infancy, it made a name for itself by snaring ships carrying silver, gold, as well as other illegal goods. While on patrolling in India’s EEZ, the Coast Guard has been able to seize several dhows and other vessels trafficking narcotics, red sand, as well as other commodities in both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal recently.

“We Protect” has been the organization’s slogan since 1977, when it was founded. The phrase translates as “We Save,” and the program has saved 9,700 lives and arrested 13,200 criminals. Ordinarily, the Coast Guard ends up saving one life at sea each two days. They protect our oceans from harm. They don’t believe there’s any criminal conduct taking on in our oceans, either.

Moreover, the Indian Coast Guard is tasked with guarding the seas. They are responsible for protecting the maritime services and maintain that marine pollution is prevented and controlled. They also examine at maritime safety aspects. In addition, they gather data for research purposes.

Indian Coast Guard Officers

Officials in the Coast Guard have the very same ranks as those in the Central Armed Forces. Each of the following divisions of the Coast Guard appoints its officers:

General-Duty Officers

Just officers in the General-Duty branch are authorized to take control of ships at sea. The primary responsibilities of a General-Duty Officer include the control of shipboard guns, scanners, and other systems. The GD officers will be in charge of ensuring the safe operation and its crew. A GD Captain of the Indian Coast Guard serves as the Division Commander and the Commander of the Coast Guard Area.

Technical Officers

Coast Guard boats and planes, along with shore stations, rely on Technical Officers to operate modern equipment and monitoring devices. They are also in charge of the force’s logistics units.

Pilot Officers

The GD branch includes pilot officers as well. There are shore Air Stations throughout the Indian beaches where pilot officers may operate and also board ships. The Exclusive Economic Zone is monitored by ICG using fixed-wing aircraft. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Ships also have helicopters on board to conduct search and recovery missions at sea.

Law Officers

In the military, Law Officers serve as legal counsel for their commanding officers. When a lawsuit is brought on behalf of or against the Indian Coast Guard, they defend it. As trial legal officials in Coast Guard court system, they are also responsible for bringing criminal charges against Coast Guard personnel.

Deputy Inspector-Generals led the Coast Guard’s Directorate of Law, which is referred to as the Chief Law Officer. This provision of the Coast Guard Act, 1978 outlines the necessary competencies for the Indian Coast Guard’s Chief Law Officer. Coast Guard Act, 1978, Section 116 describes the Chief Law Officer’s responsibilities.