Indian Coast Guard: notes for bank exams

At a glance

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is an armed force of the Union that protects India's maritime interests in peacetime: it enforces maritime law in the territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone, rescues people at sea, fights marine pollution and shares coastal security duties. It works under the Ministry of Defence and is separate from the Indian Navy, which is the war-fighting service.

Key facts

Interim Coast Guard formed: 1 February 1977 (hence Coast Guard Day / Raising Day on 1 February)
Formally established: August 1978, under the Coast Guard Act, 1978
Ministry: Ministry of Defence
HQ: Coast Guard Headquarters, New Delhi
Head: Director General; Paramesh Sivamani, the 26th DG (since October 2024)
Motto: "Vayam Rakshamah" (We Protect)
50th Raising Day: 1 February 2026 (Swarnim Jayanti)
Regions (five): North-West (Gandhinagar), Western (Mumbai), Eastern (Chennai), North-East (Kolkata), Andaman and Nicobar (Port Blair)
Seaboard commands: Western (Mumbai) and Eastern (Visakhapatnam)
Search and rescue: DG is the National Maritime Search and Rescue Coordinating Authority; Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres at Mumbai, Chennai and Port Blair

How it works

Main duties.

Safety and protection of offshore installations, ports and other structures
Search and rescue of fishermen, sailors and aircraft in distress at sea
Preventing and responding to marine pollution, including oil spills
Anti-smuggling, anti-poaching and fisheries protection
Coastal security in territorial waters, alongside the Navy and the State marine police

SAREX. The National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise is conducted by the Coast Guard under the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board, with ships and aircraft from the Navy, Air Force, ports and merchant ships, and foreign observers.

Edition	Year	Venue
11th (SAREX-24)	November 2024	Off Kochi
12th (SAREX-2026)	October 2026	Off Paradip, Odisha

ICG vs Navy vs marine police.

Force	Ministry	Main role
Indian Navy	Defence	War-fighting, sea control, overall maritime security
Indian Coast Guard	Defence	Law enforcement, SAR and pollution response at sea
State marine police	State Home Department	Policing in shallow coastal waters

Timeline

1977: Interim Coast Guard set up (1 February), under the Navy
1978: Coast Guard Act passed; ICG formally established as an independent armed force
2009: after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, ICG given responsibility for coastal security in territorial waters
2026: 50th Raising Day celebrated; 12th SAREX held off Paradip

Recent developments

8 Oct 2026: ICG conducted the 12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026) off Paradip, Odisha, simulating a mass rescue after an aircraft carrying 228 people ditched at sea; 32 observers from 30 countries attended.
1 Feb 2026: ICG marked its 50th Raising Day at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi; the Defence Minister released a commemorative stamp.

Exam traps

The Coast Guard comes under the Ministry of Defence, not the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Coast Guard Day is 1 February; Navy Day is 4 December.
The interim force dates from 1977, but the Coast Guard Act is of 1978.
The Andaman and Nicobar Command at Port Blair is a tri-service command; the Coast Guard also has its own Andaman and Nicobar Region there.

Quick check

Q: Under which Act was the Indian Coast Guard established? A: Coast Guard Act, 1978.
Q: What is the Coast Guard's motto? A: Vayam Rakshamah (We Protect).
Q: Where was SAREX-2026 held? A: Off Paradip, Odisha.

Indian Coast Guard