Indian Coast Guard - Personnel
The Coast Guard, a small force of 5440 uniformed personnel (633 officers, 4580 enrolled personnel including 82 officers and 145 personnel from the Navy and other Defence Services on deputation) is taking on the ever-increasing responsibilities in protecting the nation's interest in the maritime zones. At present, about 70% of these personnel are serving at sea or manning the front line squadrons to operate 65 ships and 44 aircraft. This is an enviable tooth to tail ratio by any standards. The cut down in the Coast Guard strength is basically to share the naval resources in training and logistics to avoid duplication of effort.
Initially, the ICG did not have its own training infrastructure and all basic trainings for its Officers and Enrolled Personnel was provided by the Indian Navy in a makeshift training centre at Kochi. Such an arrangement of training was bound to compromise the standard and quality of training provided to the Indian Coast Guard personnel.
The ICG Academy at Azhikkal, Kerala, which was approved in February 2011, was being established. Eue to inept handling by the then officers of the Ministry, not only the cost of the project has escalated by more than 50% but completion of the project will be further delayed by 7 years from the date of commencement of the project. Capable of training 650 men at any given time, this academy would primarily look after the specialized training requirements of the ICG. Although the "in-principle" approval was accorded for establishing JCG Academy at Azikkal, Kerala by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in 2012 and Ministry of Defence had accorded approval for an initial amount of Rs53.22.crore in 2013 for execution of developmental works which were already in progress, yet the Academy which was to be commissioned in 2016 has seen minimal progress. The cost of the project has been revised from R629.85 crore to Rs990.19 crore due to revision of land cost, infrastructure development and also adopting the green building norms etc.
Considering the importance of providing cutting edge training to a force responsible for securing the country's maritime interest and security, the Lok Sabha Committee had observed that the Ministry of Defence to provide training to the Indian Coast Guard personnel at the regular training centers of the Indian Navy and also emulate the training regime of the Coast Guard of the major maritime nations of the world.
Despite efforts made by the Indian Coast Guard there was still a shortage of 46 percent and 42 percent respectively of Officers and Enrolled Personnel as of December, 2010 vis-a-vis the force levels of 1,925 Officers and 10,959 Enrolled Personnel envisaged for the perspective plan 1985-2000. The Committee had been informed that various measures had been taken to fill up the vacancies viz. increase in intake of Officers and Enrolled Personnel since 2009, Special Recruitment Drives for reserved category vacancies, media publicity to attract more youth, increasing the number of recruitment centres, introduction of Short Service Schemes, increased promotional avenues, online recruitment procedure etc. Even then, as on 9th March, 2015, there was a total shortage of 3,068 Officers and Enrolled Personnel in the ICG. The Ministry planned to fill up the existing shortage of Officers by 2020 and that of Enrolled Personnel by 2017.
Despite the efforts made by the ICG for filling up the vacant posts, by 2016 there was still shortage of manpower in each category of employees as compared to the sanctioned strength. Against the total sanctioned manpower strength of 14,594, the 2016 strength of work force is only 11,852. The shortage of manpower in the ICG was a serious lapse which would ultimately cripple the Country's marine security amidst mounting seaborne security threats, smuggling and piracy. The staffing needed to keep pace with the acquisition plans of ICG. Besides, the Lok Sabha Committee were unable to see any reason for shortage of manpower when there were lakhs of qualified and unemployed youth available in the Country.
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