On 25 July 2026, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) rescued 170 stranded people in the flood-hit areas of Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and South Gujarat — 11 rescue operations amid incessant rain and severe flooding. It is a vivid reminder of the Coast Guard's role as a guardian of India's coasts and a first responder. For an NDA aspirant, the ICG is a high-value defence topic covering maritime security, coastal defence and disaster relief — reliably examined, and a strong SSB talking point.
The news in one frame
The essentials:
- What: the Indian Coast Guard rescued 170 people in floods (Daman, DNH, South Gujarat).
- Role shown: search and rescue (SAR) and disaster relief.
- Who: the Indian Coast Guard — India's fourth armed force, under the Ministry of Defence.
- Motto: "Vayam Rakshamah" — "We Protect."
What is the Indian Coast Guard?
Start with the force. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law-enforcement and search-and-rescue force that protects India's coastline and maritime interests. Key facts:
- It was established in 1978 under the Coast Guard Act, 1978, and functions under the Ministry of Defence.
- It is popularly called India's "fourth armed force" (after the Army, Navy and Air Force).
- It is headed by a Director General (DG), and operates ships (offshore patrol vessels), interceptor boats, and aircraft/helicopters.
- Its motto is "Vayam Rakshamah" (Sanskrit: "We Protect").
So the Coast Guard is the force that polices and protects India's near seas in peacetime. This defence knowledge is exactly what the NDA general-knowledge notes cover.
The Coast Guard's roles
The examinable functions — a favourite set:
- Protecting the maritime zones — especially the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (up to 200 nautical miles), including offshore assets (oil rigs) and fishermen.
- Search and Rescue (SAR) — saving lives at sea and in coastal disasters (as in these floods).
- Anti-smuggling, anti-poaching and anti-piracy — enforcing laws against contraband, illegal fishing and pirates.
- Marine environment protection — tackling oil spills and pollution at sea.
- Coastal security — a major role after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks (2008).
So the ICG combines policing, protection, humanitarian rescue and environmental duties. These themes recur in the NDA daily current affairs.
Coast Guard vs Navy — the key distinction
An important comparison the exam likes:
- The Navy is a war-fighting force for deep-sea, blue-water operations and combat (destroyers, submarines, carriers).
- The Coast Guard is mainly a maritime law-enforcement and constabulary force for peacetime protection of coasts, the EEZ, fishermen and offshore assets, and SAR.
- In coastal security, they work together in a three-tier grid:
- Indian Navy — the outer seas,
- Indian Coast Guard — the zone up to the EEZ (territorial waters/contiguous zone),
- State Marine Police — the shallow, near-shore waters and coast.
Maritime zones and coastal security
Round out with the framework the exam pairs with the ICG:
- Under UNCLOS (1982), India's maritime zones are: Territorial Sea (12 nautical miles), Contiguous Zone (24 nm), and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ, 200 nm) — where India has sovereign resource rights.
- After 26/11, coastal security was strengthened with more patrols, radar chains, the IMAC (Information Management and Analysis Centre) at Gurugram, and coastal police stations.
- Exercises like Sagar Kavach and Sea Vigil test coastal defences.
- The ICG also aids neighbouring countries and supports India's role as a "net security provider" in the Indian Ocean.
Why it matters
For the SSB and the bigger picture:
- First responder: the Coast Guard saves lives in cyclones, floods and sea emergencies.
- Coastal defence: it is central to protecting India's 7,500 km coastline and island territories.
- Blue economy: by guarding fishermen, resources and shipping lanes, it protects India's maritime economy.
🔑 Revision block
The operation. 25 July 2026 — the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) brought 170 stranded people to safety across 11 rescue operations in flood-hit Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and South Gujarat.
The force. Raised in 1978 under the Coast Guard Act, 1978 · functions under the Ministry of Defence · India's "fourth armed force", after the Army, Navy and Air Force · headed by a Director General (DG) · operates offshore patrol vessels, interceptor boats, aircraft and helicopters · motto "Vayam Rakshamah", Sanskrit for "We Protect".
Five duties. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) protection out to 200 nautical miles, covering offshore oil rigs and fishermen · Search and Rescue (SAR) · anti-smuggling, anti-poaching, anti-piracy · marine environment protection, chiefly oil spills · coastal security, scaled up after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008.
Navy or Coast Guard. Navy = war-fighting, blue-water — destroyers, submarines, carriers · ICG = peacetime maritime law-enforcement and constabulary force. The three-tier grid: Indian Navy outer seas → Indian Coast Guard up to the EEZ (territorial waters and contiguous zone) → State Marine Police the shallow near-shore.
The zones, under UNCLOS (1982). Territorial Sea 12 nautical miles · Contiguous Zone 24 nm · EEZ 200 nm, where India holds sovereign resource rights.
Names to carry. IMAC — the Information Management and Analysis Centre, Gurugram · coastal exercises Sagar Kavach and Sea Vigil · India as a "net security provider" in the Indian Ocean · a 7,500 km coastline and island territories to police.
The trap. The ICG sits under Defence, not Home — and its peacetime job is policing the near seas, not combat.
For the SSB. Guarding fishermen, resources and shipping lanes makes the ICG a blue-economy institution as much as a defence one: protection and service before firepower.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. The Indian Coast Guard functions under which ministry? (a) Ministry of Defence (b) Home Affairs (c) Shipping (d) External Affairs → (a) — the Ministry of Defence.
Q2. The Indian Coast Guard was established in: (a) 1978 (b) 1947 (c) 2001 (d) 1962 → (a) — 1978.
Q3. The motto of the Indian Coast Guard is: (a) Vayam Rakshamah (We Protect) (b) Nabhah Sparsham Deeptam (c) Sam No Varunah (d) Service Before Self → (a) — Vayam Rakshamah.
Q4. The ICG is popularly known as India's: (a) fourth armed force (b) fifth column (c) coast police (d) merchant navy → (a) — the fourth armed force.
Q5. The ICG mainly protects which maritime zone? (a) the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (b) the deep Pacific (c) the Arctic (d) inland rivers → (a) — the EEZ (up to 200 nm).
Q6. An Exclusive Economic Zone extends up to: (a) 200 nautical miles (b) 12 nm (c) 24 nm (d) 500 nm → (a) — 200 nautical miles.
Q7. In the coastal-security grid, the ICG covers the zone up to the EEZ, while the shallow coast is guarded by: (a) state marine police (b) the Air Force (c) the Army (d) the CRPF → (a) — the state marine police.
Q8. The outer seas in the coastal grid are guarded by the: (a) Indian Navy (b) Coast Guard (c) marine police (d) BSF → (a) — the Indian Navy.
Q9. A core humanitarian role of the ICG is: (a) search and rescue (SAR) (b) building highways (c) collecting taxes (d) running schools → (a) — search and rescue.
Q10. Coastal security was greatly strengthened after which event? (a) the 26/11 Mumbai attacks (2008) (b) the 1991 reforms (c) the Emergency (d) Partition → (a) — the 26/11 attacks.
Q11. The territorial sea of India extends up to: (a) 12 nautical miles (b) 200 nm (c) 24 nm (d) 100 nm → (a) — 12 nautical miles.
Q12. The ICG's environmental role includes tackling: (a) oil spills at sea (b) forest fires (c) air pollution in cities (d) desert dust → (a) — marine oil spills/pollution.
Q13. Which is a war-fighting, blue-water force (not law enforcement)? (a) the Indian Navy (b) the Coast Guard (c) marine police (d) customs → (a) — the Indian Navy.
Q14. The centre that fuses India's coastal-security picture is the: (a) IMAC, Gurugram (b) ISRO (c) SEBI (d) NITI Aayog → (a) — the Information Management and Analysis Centre.
Q15. India's maritime zones are defined under: (a) UNCLOS (1982) (b) the Paris Agreement (c) the WTO (d) NATO → (a) — the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Q16. The contiguous zone extends up to how many nautical miles from the coast? (a) 24 nm (b) 12 nm (c) 200 nm (d) 100 nm → (a) — 24 nautical miles.
Q17. The coastal-security exercises to test defences include: (a) Sea Vigil / Sagar Kavach (b) Pitch Black (c) Cope India (d) Yudh Abhyas → (a) — Sea Vigil and Sagar Kavach.
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
Maritime security is a reliable NDA defence set. The reliable framings are the ICG (1978, Ministry of Defence, 4th armed force, motto), its roles (EEZ, SAR, coastal security), and the three-tier grid (Navy/Coast Guard/marine police). A common trap puts the ICG under the Home Ministry (it's Defence) or confuses its role with the Navy's. The fresh 2026 hook is the flood-rescue operation — ideal for "which ministry / which motto / which zone" items. We reference the pattern, not any exact past question.
Preparing for the NDA? The Coast Guard, maritime zones and coastal security are high-yield defence GK and strong SSB talking points on protection and service. Follow our daily NDA current affairs and train with serving-officer faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
✍️ Written by Maj Sunil Chopra — Co-founder & defence faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk. The Cavalier, founded by ex-Army officers, has trained NDA/CDS/SSB aspirants since 2001 (Facebook · YouTube).
Source: PIB / Indian Coast Guard, Ministry of Defence, 25 July 2026. Facts cross-verified with independent sources.