Defence Minister Rajnath Singh conferred gallantry, distinguished service and meritorious service medals to personnel of the Indian Coast Guard at an investiture ceremony in New Delhi. A total of 32 medals were presented including six President’s Tatrakshak Medals for Distinguished Service, 11 Tatrakshak Medals for Gallantry and 15 Tatrakshak Medals for Meritorious Service.
In his address, Mr Singh said the government of India is committed to enhancing the efficiency of the Indian Coast Guard. He said, the Coast Guard has been allocated nine thousand 676 crore rupees for the financial year 2025-26, which is 26.6 per cent more than the previous year’s budget.
The Minister said this is a very important step towards modernizing the coast guard. He said the government has approved procuring 14 Fast Patrol Vessels, six Air Cushion Vehicles, 22 Interceptor Boats, six Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels and 18 Next Generation Fast Patrol Vessels for the Indian Coast Guard.
Mr Singh said, that today, the Indian Coast Guard is one of the most efficient marine forces in the world and it is seen as a trustworthy force not only within the country but also among the global community.
This is certainly a great achievement for the Indian Coast Guard. The Defence Minister said, the marine forces, especially the Indian Coast Guard, have to deal with many technological threats like Cyber Attacks, Data breaches, signal jamming, radar disruption, and GPS spoofing. He said, on one hand, the Indian Coast Guard faces conventional threats and on the other hand, there are newly emerging threats as well. Mr Singh said the Indian Coast Guard need to be alert in both ways.
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Director General Indian Coast Guard Paramesh Sivamani were present on the occasion along with other senior officials.
