By Capt. (Dr.) RC Muni (Retd) · Defence faculty, The Cavalier
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is an armed force of the Union that polices India's seas in peacetime: it guards the Exclusive Economic Zone, rescues people at sea, fights oil spills and catches smugglers. It is not a branch of the Navy. It has its own Act, its own Director General and its own officer entry, the Assistant Commandant, which is the career our Coast Guard AC course prepares for.
This is the front door to the Coast Guard section of our Defence GK library.
Origins: 1977 and 1978
The Coast Guard grew out of the Rustamji Committee, which the Cabinet set up in September 1974 and which recommended in July 1975 a Coast Guard-type force for peacetime policing of the seas, patterned on the Navy and working under the Ministry of Defence. Two dates matter, and books mix them up.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1 Feb 1977 | An interim Coast Guard is raised after a Cabinet decision, with seven surface platforms. This is its raising day. |
| 18 Aug 1978 | Parliament's Coast Guard Act, 1978 (Act 30 of 1978) is dated this day, and the force is formally constituted as an armed force of the Union; the Act came into force on 19 August 1978 by notification |
| 1 Feb 2026 | The 50th Raising Day, marked in New Delhi by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh |
Both are right, for different things. 1977 is the interim raising and the reason for Coast Guard Day; 1978 is the Act and the formal constitution, under Section 4. Choose 1978 for the Act or the "formal" start, and 1 February 1977 for the raising day.
- 1 Feb 2026: at the 50th Raising Day the Raksha Mantri asked the ICG for a 25-year roadmap towards 2047 (PIB).
- 27 Jun 2026: the fast patrol vessel ICGS Akshay was commissioned at Goa Shipyard (ICG press release); see our ICGS Akshay explainer.
Control, the Director General and Identity
- Ministry: the Ministry of Defence, not the Home Ministry; the Central Government holds general control under the Act.
- Director General (DG): the Central Government appoints the DG. DG Paramesh Sivamani has held the post since 15 October 2024.
- Headquarters: Coast Guard HQ, New Delhi.
- Motto: Vayam Rakshamah, Sanskrit for "We Protect"; the Hindi name is Bharatiya Tatrakshak.
- Coast Guard Day: 1 February, the anniversary of the 1977 interim raising.
- Not a CAPF: it is an armed force under Defence, unlike the CAPF. See also the Ministry of Defence.
The ICG's 50th Raising Day brief (31 January 2026) gave 155 ships and about 80 aircraft, a target of 200 and 100 by 2030, and about 20.1 lakh sq km of EEZ to cover. PIB records over 11,800 lives saved at sea.
Reports in July 2026 give 82 aircraft. The raising-day brief is the official anchor, and UPSC follows official figures.
Roles in Peacetime
Section 14 of the Act makes it the Coast Guard's duty to protect India's maritime and other national interests in the maritime zones of India:
| Section 14 duty | In practice |
|---|---|
| Safety of artificial islands, offshore terminals and installations | Guarding oil platforms and terminals in the EEZ |
| Protection of fishermen and help at sea when in distress | Search and rescue, cyclone and flood relief |
| Preserving the marine environment and controlling marine pollution | The ICG is the Central Coordinating Authority for oil-spill response (since 1986); ports and states handle port and shoreline spills. Operation Olivia protects Olive Ridley turtles off Odisha |
| Assisting Customs and other authorities in anti-smuggling | Patrols against contraband, illegal fishing and trafficking |
| Enforcing laws at sea; safety of life and property; scientific data | Boarding, inspection, data collection |
The zones it works in come from international law (UNCLOS) and Indian law:
| Zone | Limit from the coast | Coastal state's rights |
|---|---|---|
| Territorial sea | 12 nm | Sovereignty |
| Contiguous zone | 24 nm | Customs, immigration, health, fiscal control |
| EEZ | 200 nm | Sovereign rights over resources, not navigation |
See the duties at work in our reports on the Coast Guard in the floods and marine litter.
Roles in War, and How the Coast Guard Differs
In war the Coast Guard is meant to work under the Navy's operational control. This is an arrangement, not a section of the law: the Coast Guard Act (Sections 4, 5 and 14, on constitution, control and duties) has no clause on it. During Operation Sindoor, PIB records, the ICG deployed assets early, raised surveillance on the western coast and stayed alert in creek areas.
| Navy | Coast Guard | State marine police | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under | Ministry of Defence | Ministry of Defence | State police |
| Character | War-fighting, blue-water | Peacetime maritime law enforcement, rescue | Coastal policing |
| Coastal security role | Overall maritime security, coastal and offshore | Authority for coastal security in territorial waters, including areas patrolled by coastal police | Patrols the coastal areas assigned to it, from coastal police stations |
After 26/11 the three were tied into one grid with joint operations centres. For the Navy, headed by Adm Krishna Swaminathan, see the Indian Navy section; for joint working, the Andaman and Nicobar Command, naval exercises and Indian Ocean chokepoints.
Structure: Five Regions
CGHQ sits above five regions, each commanded by an Inspector General, covering the east and west seaboards.
- Coast Guard HQ, New DelhiDirector General
- North West RegionHQ Gandhinagar · IG
- West RegionHQ Mumbai · IG
- East RegionHQ Chennai · IG
- North East RegionHQ Kolkata · IG
- Andaman and Nicobar RegionHQ Port Blair · IG
Districts, stations and air enclaves sit below each region. Ranks are lined up with the other services on rank equivalence; compare the Army's chain.
Guided Tour: Every Page in the Coast Guard Section
| Page | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Regional Headquarters | Five regions, their headquarters and district commands |
| Offshore Patrol Vessels | Vikram class and later OPVs, pollution-control vessels |
| Fast Patrol and Interceptor Boats | FPVs, interceptor boats and hovercraft for shallow-water work |
| Dornier Flights | Dornier 228 surveillance and air enclaves |
| Helicopter Units | ALH Mk III and Chetak, rescue and ship-borne flights |
| Ranks and Insignia | Officer and enrolled ranks, Navy equivalence, the DG's rank |
Coast Guard Day is also on defence days and the motto on mottos.
Exam pins
- Interim Coast Guard: 1 February 1977 (Coast Guard Day). Coast Guard Act: 1978 (18 August).
- The Coast Guard is an armed force of the Union under the Ministry of Defence (Section 4 of the Act).
- Head: Director General; HQ New Delhi; motto Vayam Rakshamah, "We Protect".
- Five regions: North West (Gandhinagar), West (Mumbai), East (Chennai), North East (Kolkata), Andaman and Nicobar (Port Blair).
- Duties are in Section 14: installations, fishermen, pollution, anti-smuggling, law enforcement.
- ICG is the Central Coordinating Authority for oil-spill response; Operation Olivia protects Olive Ridley turtles.
- Zones: territorial sea 12 nm, contiguous zone 24 nm, EEZ 200 nm.
- Fleet (January 2026): 155 ships, about 80 aircraft.
Asked in past papers
Which of the following about the role of Indian Coast Guard is/are correct? 1. Indian Coast Guard has been entrusted with the offshore security coordination authority 2. Lead intelligence agency for coastal and sea border 3. Coastal security in territorial waters
(a) 1 and 3 only (b) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 3 only
Answer: (b). All three are listed ICG roles: coordinating offshore security, lead intelligence agency for coastal and sea borders, and coastal security in territorial waters (the last was assigned in the post-26/11 arrangements of 2009). Recalling only "territorial waters" gives (d).
Which one of the following is not an exclusive right of the concerned coastal nations over Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)?
(a) Survey and exploitation of mineral resources of ocean deposits (b) Exploitation of marine water energy and marine organisms including fishing (c) Conservation and management of marine resources (d) Navigation of ships and laying down submarine cables
Answer: (d). Navigation and cable-laying stay open to all states; the other three are resource rights.
Operation Olivia, an initiative to protect Olive Ridley turtles, is undertaken by
(a) Indian Navy (b) Indian Coast Guard (c) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (d) Ministry of Earth Sciences
Answer: (b). The ICG runs it each year off Odisha. Option (c) tempts because turtles are an environment topic.
Which of the following are administered under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India? 1. Territorial Army 2. Hydrographic surveys and preparation of navigational charts 3. National Cadet Corps 4. All matters relating to Coast Guard Organization
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 3 and 4 only (c) 2 and 4 only (d) 1 and 3 only
Answer: (a). All four sit under Defence; dropping statement 2 is the usual slip.
Expect one ICG question a paper: the ministry, a task or the zones. Learn Section 14 once, then drill on the CDS and NDA past papers and defence awareness notes.
Practice MCQs (with answers)
- The Coast Guard Act, which gave the force its statutory base, was passed in
- 1947
- 1962
- 1978
- 1999
- Coast Guard Day is observed on 1 February because on that date in 1977
- an interim Coast Guard organisation came into being
- the Coast Guard Act was passed
- the first Director General took charge
- the Maritime Zones Act came into force
- The motto "Vayam Rakshamah" means
- Victory through vigilance
- Service before Self
- Guardians of the sea
- We protect
- Which of the following is the designated authority for coastal security in India's territorial waters, including areas patrolled by the coastal police?
- Indian Navy
- Indian Coast Guard
- Border Security Force
- State Fisheries Department
- Which of the following is not listed among the Coast Guard's duties under Section 14 of the Act?
- Protection of fishermen at sea
- Assisting Customs in anti-smuggling
- Fighting enemy warships in open-ocean battle
- Preventing and controlling marine pollution
- The headquarters of the Coast Guard's North East Region is at
- Port Blair
- Kolkata
- Visakhapatnam
- Gandhinagar
1-c, 2-a, 3-d, 4-b, 5-c, 6-b. Q1: 1977 is the interim raising. Q4: the Navy holds the overall role, the ICG the territorial waters. Q6: Port Blair is Andaman and Nicobar; Gandhinagar is North West.
Where to Go Next
If the Coast Guard is your goal, read careers after graduation and join our Coast Guard AC course, which covers the written test and both selection boards. Boards ask "know your service", so read our SSB interview tips too. For the other services, see the Indian Navy and Indian Army; for the Navy, see our CDS course.
Frequently asked questions
Under which ministry does the Indian Coast Guard function?
The Indian Coast Guard functions under the Ministry of Defence, not the Home Ministry. It is an armed force of the Union constituted by the Coast Guard Act, 1978, and is headed by the Director General at Coast Guard Headquarters in New Delhi.
When was the Indian Coast Guard established?
An interim Coast Guard was raised on 1 February 1977, which is why Coast Guard Day is on 1 February. The Coast Guard Act is dated 18 August 1978, when the force was formally constituted. Questions on the formal start expect 1978.
What is the motto of the Indian Coast Guard?
The motto is Vayam Rakshamah, Sanskrit for "We Protect". Its releases also use the Hindi name Bharatiya Tatrakshak.
What is the difference between the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard?
The Navy is the war-fighting, blue-water force; the Coast Guard is a peacetime law-enforcement and rescue force with its own Act. Both are under the Ministry of Defence, and the Coast Guard supports the Navy in war. For coastal security the Coast Guard is the authority in territorial waters.
How many regions does the Indian Coast Guard have?
Five, each under an Inspector General: North West at Gandhinagar, West at Mumbai, East at Chennai, North East at Kolkata and Andaman and Nicobar at Port Blair.
More in Defence GK
Sources: pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2221829®=3&lang=1 · indiacode.nic.in/handle/123456789/1734 · pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2070935®=48&lang=2
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