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Indian Coast Guard - History

Sea borne smuggling across the seas was rampant towards the end 1960’s threatening the economy of our country. The five Customs patrol craft operated by the Indian Navy for the Central Board of Excise & Customs were grossly inadequate to deter the smugglers. To augment the anti-smuggling effort, as an interim measure, 13 confiscated dhows were inducted despite their inherent limitations, to support the existing fleet. However, this entire force level was only marginally effective to contain the large-scale smuggling activity.

The problem of checking sea-borne smuggling traffic was compounded by:

• Long coastline without any effective coverage.
• Extensive fishing activity close to the shores complicated the identification of illegal traffic,particularly when there was no effective system in force for registering the fishing craft/boats.
• Necessity to intercept illegal vessels within the territorial waters.
• High speed vessels being used by the smugglers.

In the backdrop of large scale sea–borne smuggling, the Cabinet Secretariat, in pursuance of the Prime Minister’s directive, on 23 Jan 1970, constituted a study group under the chairmanship of Dr. BD Nag Chaudhari with Air Chief Marshal O.P.Mehra and Admiral RD Katari IN (Retd) amongst others, as members to examine and report on: -

• Number and nature of craft to be acquired to meet the immediate requirements of anti-smuggling task.
• Sources of supply and their availability in the world market to meet the operational requirement.
• Suitability of hovercraft, helicopter and other aircraft for anti-smuggling operations.

The Nag Choudhari Committee in its report submitted in Aug 1971 recommended that there is an immediate need to build our anti-smuggling capabilities on a three-tier system -Indigenous construction and early acquisition of surface craft for anti-smuggling measures. Hovercraft, in the role of fast interceptor was the choice for immediate augmenting of our limited anti-smuggling capability till the new fast surface crafts were acquired. Acquisition of surveillance aircraft in a phased programme could be similarly.geared up at a convenient stage.

On 03 May 1973, a meeting under the chairmanship of Shri VC Shukla, the Minister for Defence Production, was held to expedite the acquisition of suitable boats for the Customs. The requirement of two types of patrol boat was felt – a large size patrol boat with 1000 NM range and a max speed of 30 knots, fitted with light armament and capacity for 16 crew and a small boat of higher speed, fitted with light armament, to carry 12 crew. In the inter-ministerial meeting (in which both the Minister for Defence Production and Minister of Revenue and Expenditure were present), it was agreed that the medium boats should also be acquired in pursuance of the recommendations of the Nag Chaudhari Committee. In a subsequent meeting with the Ministry of Defence Production on 22 Nov 1973, the customs indicated a requirement of 20 modified SDB Mark-II type for their department.

The need for a Coast Guard force in India to perform various non-military maritime roles had been felt for sometime, particularly by Naval Headquarters. It was however, not until 31 Aug 1974 that a serious official consideration was given to this problem when the Defence Secretary addressed a note to the Cabinet Secretary, spelling out the need for setting up of a Coast Guard type national organisation.

In essence the Defence Secretary’s note brought out that an organisation for ensuring safety of life and property at sea and for law enforcement in the waters under our jurisdiction had not kept pace with the substantial increase in maritime activity in the surrounding seas. The note had further suggested that a suitable inter-ministerial body could examine the adequacy of the existing organisations and the possibility of closer coordination between their activities either by merging some or establishing a central organisation like a Coast Guard. In this context, the Chief of the Naval Staff had also stressed the need for greater inter-ministerial coordination in the maritime field to avoid duplication of effort and for dovetailing measures to ensure that the national objectives are attained by an integrated approach. It was also felt that the law enforcement activities should not be undertaken by the Navy, which would inevitably detract them from their operational role and interfere with their training. Further, deployment of sophisticated warships and manpower trained for specialised roles, on law enforcement tasks on a continuos basis in peace time neither was nor considered cost-effective.

In the wake of the amendment to the Maintenance of Internal Security Act to provide for preventive detention for offences relating to smuggling and foreign exchange violations, a concerted drive was launched to combat smuggling. In this context, in Sep 1974, the Committee of Secretaries under the Chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary appointed a committee to examine the shortcomings in our anti-smuggling and other maritime activities and suggest the measures to protect India’s marine resources and the creation of the Coast Guard. The committee was to be chaired by Shri KF Rustamji, Special Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs with Vice Admiral VA Kamath, PVSM, Vice Chief of Naval Staff and Shri Jasjit Singh, Chairman, Central Board of Excise and Customs amongst its members.

The Rustamji Committee in its report submitted on 31 Jul 1975 strongly recommended the setting up of a Coast Guard type organisation for general superintendence and policing of our sea areas in peacetime. The committee’s view had become even more pressing by virtue of the discovery of oil in our offshore areas. This committee also recommended that the Coast Guard Service should be patterned on the Navy and work under the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The recommendations of the Rustamji Committee were considered and accepted by the Secretaries on 07 Jan 1976. The committee, however, decided that the new organisation should function under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The decision was subsequently reviewed at the level of the Prime Minister and it was decided to place it under the Ministry of Defence(MoD).

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) thereupon prepared a paper for consideration of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affair (CCPA) seeking approval for: -

• Taking necessary steps to set up a Coast Guard organisation.
• Appointing an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Ministry of Defence in the rank of Vice Admiral with a nucleus Headquarters and appropriate staff to prepare a detailed plan for the Coast Guard Organisation.
• Creation of an interim Coast Guard Force with two frigates seconded by the Navy and transferring of five patrol vessels from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

On 07 Jan 1977, the Cabinet approved the proposal for the setting up an interim Coast Guard Organisation within the Navy to undertake specified Coast Guard tasks. The CCPA directed that the budgetary provision for the Coast Guard should be under a separate head in the estimates of the Department of Revenue and Banking. Further, it had also directed that a detailed plan for the development of the Coast Guard should be drawn up.

With the increasing awareness of the economic benefits to be gained from the sea and sea beds, certain Coastal States had claimed jurisdiction over the vast areas of sea around them. The Third conference of the UNCLOS resolved the inadequacies and evolved a regime for the international sea bed area. In conformity with the existing trend the world over, the Government of India enacted the 'Maritime Zones Act' on 25 Aug 1976. This Act came into force on 15 Jan 1977, bringing the entire Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), an area of 2.01 million square kilometres within our national jurisdiction. The policing of this vast sea area and to enforce the national laws and protecting the national interests would be a mammoth task and call for a dedicated organisation.

On 07 Jan 1977, following the Cabinet’s decision the interim Coast Guard Organisation came into being under Naval Headquarters on 01 Feb 1977. The force consisting of two frigates (IN Ships Kirpan and Kuthar) seconded from the Indian Navy and five patrol boats (Pamban, Puri, Pulicat, Panaji and Panvel) transferred from the Home Ministry. These assets were deployed for the discharge of the Coast Guard duties along the coasts and around the Island territories. The aim was to maintain surveillance of our sea area and to assess the extent of maritime activity in our maritime zones with a limited force.

The overall plan for the Coast Guard Service was prepared by the Officer on Special Duty (OSD), VAdm VA Kamath as required by the terms of reference in three parts and submitted on 05 Jul 1978 for the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affair (CCPA). The Plans are Part I dealing with the Main Plan supported by the detailed appendices at Part II covered the following:

• A study of the various maritime agencies in India and identification of such activities, which may be dovetailed to avoid duplication of effort and ensure an integrated approach.
• Organisation and assigning roles for the Coast Guard.
• Terms and conditions of the service.
• Legal aspects of raising the new Service.
• Identification of areas in which the Coast Guard would have to rely on the Indian Navy and other Central Govt agencies.
• Budget.

Part III dealing with the development plan for the Coast Guard, a six-year roll - on plan, for the period 1978-84.

The process, which began nearly a decade earlier, had crystallized with the formation of the Coast Guard Service by passing an Act in the Parliament on 18 Aug 1978 and brought into force on 19 Aug 1978.

“An Act to provide for the constitution and regulation of an Armed Force of the Union for ensuring the security of the maritime zones of India with a view to the protection of maritime and other national interests in such zones and for matters connected therewith. Be it enacted by Parliament in the Twenty-ninth Year of the Republic of India”

It shall be the duty of the Coast Guard to protect by such measures, as it thinks fit the maritime and other national interests of India in the maritime zones of India. Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of subsection -(a), the measures referred to therein may provide for: –