Director General of the Indian Coast Guard | |
---|---|
Indian Coast Guard | |
Abbreviation | DG ICG |
Reports to | Minister of Defence |
Seat | Coast Guard Headquarters, New Delhi |
Appointer | Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) |
Formation | 19 August 1978 |
First holder | Vice Admiral V. A. Kamath, PVSM |
Deputy | Additional Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (ADG ICG) |
Website | DG ICG |
The Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (DG ICG) is the head of the Indian Coast Guard. The DG ICG has their office in the Coast Guard Headquarters (CGHQ) in New Delhi. Appointed by the Government of India, the DG ICG reports to the Minister of Defence. The Director General is assisted by four Deputy Directors General, each holding the rank of inspector-general, and other senior officers heading various staff divisions. The Additional Director General of the ICG serves as the second-in-command to the Director General.
The post of Director General of the Indian Coast Guard is held by a three-star rank holder as a position and is not a rank in itself. It is equivalent to Vice Admiral of the Indian Navy, Lieutenant General of the Indian Army and the Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force. [2] [lower-alpha 1] The rank of Additional Director General of the Indian Coast Guard is equivalent to that of a Lieutenant General of the Indian Army. [3] [4] [lower-alpha 2]
Rakesh Pal is the current Director General of the Indian Coast Guard who assumed the office after Virender Singh Pathania retired. The Flag officer is the fourth direct entry Coast Guard officer who took over the helm of the ICG on 19 July 2023 as the 25th Director General.
The Indian Coast Guard came into being on 19 August 1978. The new service was to function under the overall command and control of a Director general. [5] Vice Admiral V. A. Kamath, deputed from the Indian Navy, served as the first DG ICG. Appointed on 19 August 1978, he served in the capacity until 31 March 1980. [6] Until 2016, appointees to the DG position were Officers of the Indian Navy deputed to the Coast Guard.
Three direct entry Coast Guard officers have gone on to head the service. While two previous Directors General have come from the Coast Guard stream –Rameshwar Singh and P. Paleri – they have all initially been commissioned into the Indian Navy before later being permanently deputed to the Coast Guard service. [7]
Apart from heading the Coast Guard, the DGICG is also: [8]
The badges of rank have a crossed sword and baton over three eight-pointed stars and the Ashoka emblem above, on a golden shoulder board. The Director General wears gorget patches which are navy blue patches with three golden stars and oak leaves under the three golden stars. In addition to this, the double-breasted reefer jacket has three golden sleeve stripes consisting of a broad band with two narrower bands.
No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Vice Admiral V. A. Kamath PVSM (1921–2017) | 19 August 1978 | 31 March 1980 | 1 year, 225 days | |
2 | Vice Admiral Swaraj Parkash PVSM , MVC , AVSM (1923–2004) | 1 April 1980 | 31 March 1982 | 1 year, 364 days | |
3 | Vice Admiral M. R. Schunker PVSM , AVSM (1924–2021) | 1 April 1982 | 31 March 1984 | 1 year, 365 days | |
4 | Vice Admiral S. Jain | 19 June 1984 | 14 February 1985 | 240 days | |
5 | Vice Admiral I. J. S. Khurana | 15 February 1985 | 30 June 1987 | 2 years, 135 days | |
6 | Vice Admiral H. Johnson | 10 July 1987 | 27 June 1990 | 2 years, 352 days | |
7 | Vice Admiral S. W. Lakhar | 28 June 1990 | 31 August 1992 | 2 years, 64 days | |
8 | Vice Admiral K. K. Kohli | 5 October 1992 | 3 January 1995 | 2 years, 90 days | |
9 | Vice Admiral P. J. Jacob | 4 January 1995 | 17 November 1996 | 1 year, 318 days | |
10 | Vice Admiral R. N. Ganesh | 18 November 1996 | 4 March 1999 | 2 years, 106 days | |
11 | Vice Admiral John Colin De Silva PVSM , AVSM (1943–2019) | 5 March 1999 | 6 March 2001 | 2 years, 1 day | |
12 | Vice Admiral Rameshwar Singh | 7 March 2001 | 29 September 2001 | 206 days | |
13 | Vice Admiral O. P. Bansal | 30 September 2001 | 12 January 2003 | 1 year, 104 days | |
14 | Vice Admiral Sureesh Mehta PVSM , AVSM (born 1947) | 13 January 2003 | 19 August 2004 | 1 year, 219 days | |
15 | Vice Admiral A. K. Singh | 20 August 2004 | 24 February 2006 | 1 year, 188 days | |
16 | Vice Admiral Prabhakaran Paleri | 28 February 2006 | 31 August 2006 | 184 days | |
17 | Vice Admiral R. F. Contractor | 31 August 2006 | 30 November 2008 | 2 years, 91 days | |
18 | Vice Admiral Anil Chopra PVSM , AVSM | 1 December 2008 | 29 October 2011 | 2 years, 332 days | |
19 | Vice Admiral M. P. Muralidharan | 1 November 2011 | 28 February 2013 | 1 year, 119 days | |
20 | Vice Admiral Anurag Thapliyal | 1 March 2013 | 31 January 2015 | 1 year, 336 days | |
21 | Vice Admiral Harish Bisht PVSM , AVSM (born 1957) | 1 February 2015 | 28 February 2016 | 27 days | |
22 | Rajendra Singh PTM , TM (born 1959) | 1 March 2016 | 30 June 2019 | 3 years, 121 days | |
23 | Krishnaswamy Natarajan PVSM , PTM , TM (born 1961) | 1 July 2019 | 31 December 2021 | 2 years, 183 days | |
24 | Virender Singh Pathania PVSM , PTM , TM (born 1963) | 31 December 2021 | 31 January 2023 | 1 year, 31 days | |
25 | Rakesh Pal PTM , TM (born 1965) | 19 July 2023 | Incumbent | 23 days |
Footnotes
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. It was formally established on 1 February 1977 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India. It operates under the Ministry of Defence.
The Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) is the deputy to the Chief of the Air Staff of India and second-highest ranking officer of the Indian Air Force. The VCAS is a PSO at Air Headquarters at New Delhi. In the event that the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) is absent or is unable to perform his duties, the VCAS assumes the duties and responsibilities of the CAS. The VCAS is normally held by an officer of three star rank and is held by an air officer of the rank of Air Marshal.
Admiral Sardarilal Mathradas 'Charles' Nanda, PVSM, AVSM was an Indian Navy admiral who served as the 7th Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 March 1970 until 28 February 1973. He led the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and successfully executed a naval blockade of both West and East Pakistan, helping India achieve an overwhelming victory during the war. For the important role he played in the war, the Government of India awarded him with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award. He is one of the most notable commanders in the history of the Indian Navy.
The Southern Naval Command is one of the three command-level formations of the Indian Navy. It has its headquarters in Kochi, Kerala at INS Venduruthy. It is the Training Command of the Indian Navy.
Admiral Ronald Lynsdale 'Ronnie' Pereira, PVSM, AVSM was a flag officer in the Indian Navy. He served as the ninth Chief of Naval Staff from 1979 to 1982. He is considered to be one of the architects of the modern Indian Navy.
Vice Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan, PVSM, DSC, was a former flag officer in the Indian Navy. He was the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War.
Vice Admiral Harish Chandra Singh Bisht, PVSM, AVSM, ADC is a former Flag Officer of the Indian Navy. He is an alumnus of the Sainik School Ghorakhal, Nainital; National Defence Academy Khadakvasla, Pune and the Naval Academy, Kochi and served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command till his retirement on 31 October 2017.
The Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) is a statutory position in the Indian Armed Forces, that is usually held by a three star vice admiral. The Vice Chief is the deputy of the Chief of the Naval Staff and is usually the second highest ranking officer of the Indian Navy. The current VCNS is Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh who took over from Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade on 1 April 2023.
Rajendra Singh Bisht, PTM, TM is a retired Indian Coast Guard officer who served as the 22nd Director General of the Indian Coast Guard. He was the first Indian Coast Officer to serve as the Director General of ICG. Prior to him the position of DG ICG was held by Vice Admiral ranked officer from the Indian Navy.
Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) is the title of the Indian Navy Officer who commands the Eastern Fleet, headquartered in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The FOCEF is a Two Star Officer holding the rank of Rear Admiral. The Current FOCEF is Rear Admiral Gurcharan Singh, who assumed office on 30 November 2022.
The Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) is a senior appointment in the Indian Navy. The DCNS is a PSO at Naval Headquarters in New Delhi. The office is held by a Three Star Officer in the rank of Vice Admiral. The current DCNS is Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru who took over Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh on 1 April 2022.
Vice admiral is a three-star flag officer rank in the Indian Navy. It is the second-highest active rank in the Indian Navy. Vice admiral ranks above the two-star rank of rear admiral and below the four-star rank of admiral, which is held by the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS).
Lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank in the Indian Army. It is the second-highest active rank in the Indian Army. Lieutenant generals rank above the two-star rank of Major General and below the four-star rank of General, which is held by the Chief of the Army Staff.
Vice Admiral Vasudeva Anant Kamath, PVSM (1921-2017) was a former Flag officer in the Indian Navy. He was the founding Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, which he led from 1978 to 1980. He also served as the 4th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) from 1973 to 1977, the longest tenure in the Indian Navy's history. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, he led the Southern Naval Area, for which he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.
Rear admiral is a two-star flag officer rank in the Indian Navy. It is the third-highest active rank in the Indian Navy. Rear admiral ranks above the one-star rank of commodore and below the three-star rank of vice admiral.
Vice Admiral Melville Raymond Schunker, PVSM, AVSM was a flag officer in the Indian Navy. He served as the third Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, which he led from 1982 to 1984. He also served as the 6th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) from 1980 to 1982. He was the commissioning commanding officer of the Indian Navy's only submarine tender ship INS Amba (A54).
Commodore is a one-star rank in the Indian Navy. Commodore ranks above the rank of captain and below the two-star rank of rear admiral.
Vice Admiral John Colin De Silva, PVSM, AVSM was a flag officer in the Indian Navy. He last served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) from 2001 to 2002. He also served as the 11th Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, which he led from 1999 to 2001. He was the commissioning commanding officer of the Rajput-class guided-missile destroyer INS Ranvijay (D55). After retiring from the Navy, he served as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Overseas Employment Agency, an agency set up by the Government of Goa.
The Flag Officer Defence Advisory Group (FODAG) and Advisor Offshore Security and Defence to the Government of India is the title of the flag officer who heads the Offshore Defence Advisory Group. The FODAG is a two-star officer holding the rank of Rear Admiral. The current FODAG is Rear Admiral Mahesh Singh, NM who took over in December 2021.
Rakesh Pal, PTM, TM is a serving flag officer of the Indian Coast Guard. He currently serves as the 25th Director General of the Indian Coast Guard.