The ICG Day or Indian Coast Guard Day is celebrated on 01st February every year. The Indian Coast Guard is a multi-mission organization, conducting round-the-year real-life operations at sea. Despite being relatively small, it has a wide range of task capabilities for both surface and air operations. The organization is headed by the Director-General Indian Coast Guard (DGICG) exercising his overall command and superintendence from the Coast Guard Headquarters (CGHQ) located at New Delhi. At CGHQ, he is assisted by four Deputy Director Generals of the rank of Inspector General, and other senior officers heading various staff divisions. The Indian Coast Guard Day is established on 01st February 1977. Indian Coast Guard comes under the Defense Ministry. The Coast Guard has a dedicated and professional team of officers and enrolled personnel. The Indian Coast Guard currently had their 5 air stations with 10 air enclaves, even also in total 42 coastal line stations throughout the country. The coastline of India is situated in a total of 7516.60 kilometers long coastline route and became one of the busiest routes at all. Indian coastline touches nine states-- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and two union territories-- Daman and Diu and Puducherry.

This year Indian Coast Guard celebrates its 45th Raising Day on 01st February 2023. Indian Coast Guard Day 2023 is celebrated to praise and honor the efforts of the soldiers, their bravery,  contribution and they devote their life to do service for their mother country. These soldiers are working round the clock to safeguard our coast guards and the maritime zones of our country. Indian Coast Guard Day 2023 honors them for the deeds they have done for the welfare of the nation. They do face extreme difficulties and have responsibilities such as Search and Rescue operations, etc., and they keep guarding the border area of the country. The headquarters of the Indian Coast Guard is the Ministry of Defence, New Delhi. Get to know many important and interesting facts about our Indian Coast Guard Day 2023. Check the Maritime zones of India, the Indian Coast Guard Day 2023 Theme, history, the significance of celebrating the Indian Coast Guard Day 2023, interesting ICG Day quotes, etc., in this article.

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Indian Coast Guard Day- History

The Indian Coast Guard was initially established on 1 February 1977 due to an emergency. In those days, sea-borne smuggling threatened the country's domestic economy. The interim of the Indian Coast Guard was created in 1977 to prevent the smuggling of goods on Sea. The Nagchaudhuri Committee was formed with participation from the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force to analyze the problem. Till then, the Indian navy was involved in anti-smuggling activities. The committee members come up with the solution to the need for the patrol to watch the activities performed on the coast. They set up a registry of offshore fishing vessels in order to identify illegal activity and establish a capable and well-equipped force to intercept vessels engaged in illegal activities. On the 18th of August,1978 the Indian Coast Guard was established officially and was declared by the Parliament of India by the Coast Guard Act, 1978. To provide non-military maritime services to the nation, the Indian Coast was created based on the ideas of the Indian Navy.

Indian Coast Guard Day 2023 - Significance

Indian Coast Guard is essential to safeguard the coasts and to prevent illegal activities. To ensure that quality resource is available to the Coast Guard, the benchmark for the recruitment of officer and EPs is set high, right from the screening stage. The selection process is stringent and ensures that only the most suitable candidates are inducted into the service. The Blue color of the Coast Guard ensign signifies a ship on Government Duty. On the Coast Guard ensign, there is a National flag on the top left quadrant and a Coast Guard emblem in the fly part of the flag. The Coast Guard ensign was hoisted for the first time onboard the Indian Coast Guard Ship Kuthar on 19th August 1978, at the inaugural ceremony of the Indian Coast Guard at Bombay (now Mumbai).

Life on board a Coast Guard ship is engaging, adventurous, and challenging. From saving human lives at sea and assisting fishermen in peril, to apprehending poachers and preserving marine biodiversity, job satisfaction comes easy to a “Coast Guardsman”. Over 20,000 active personnel 157+ vessels, 62 aircraft are engaged in ongoing missions. Each day at sea is filled with promise, and each mission is different in an inimitable way. Indian Coast Guard collaborates with the Indian Navy, The Customs Department, even with State and General Police forces as well. The motto of the Indian Coast Guard is "VAYAM RAKSHAMAH - We Protect". Each day they are engaging themselves in multiple missions. We should definitely appreciate the efforts taken by them for the safety of our country and citizens.

Indian Coast Guard Day 2023 - Maritime Zones of India

For effective command and control, the Maritime Zones of India are divided into five Coast Guard Regions. The Coast Guard Regions are commanded by Officers of the rank of Inspector General. Check out the list of Indian Coast Guard Regions 2023 with their regional headquarters tabulated below.

Indian Coast Guard Day 2023 Theme

Indian Coast Guard Day 2023 is celebrated with a specific theme every year. For this year, the Indian Coast Guard Day 2023 theme is not declared yet. Onboard every Coast Guard ship, there is a balanced mix of officers and sailors, belonging to different branches, divided into three groups, with each group working at respective stations twice for four hours every day, when the ship is at sea. 

Indian Coast Guard Day 2023 - Quotes

• “Our men and women in uniform, are a force for good throughout the world, and that is nothing to apologize for”- Indian Coast Guard.

• “We do this job because every once in a while someone is out there without hope, desperately praying for their life, and we get to be the answer”- Indian Coast Guard.

We hope this article provides you with details you should know about Indian Coast Guard Day 2023. The history, Indian Coast Guard Day 2023 Theme, Significance, details of maritime zones of India with headquarters, and details are discussed here. In general, everyone should be aware of the Indian Coast Guards' importance and the operations performed. Also, aspirants preparing for competitive exams can read this article and get to know the details related to the important days in February 2023.

FAQs - Indian Coast Guard Day 2023

Q. When was the Indian Coast Guard Day 2023 celebrated?

The Indian Coast Guard Day 2023 is celebrated on 01st February every year.

Q. What is the motto of the Indian Coast Guard?

The motto of the Indian Coast Guard is "VAYAM RAKSHAMAH - We Protect".

Q. The Indian Coastline covers how many kilometers?

The coastline of India is situated in a total of 7516.60 kilometers long coastline route and became one of the busiest routes at all.