Rajnath Singh conferred gallantry, distinguished service, and meritorious service medals to the personnel of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) during the 18th ICG Investiture Ceremony held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on February 25, 2025. A total of 32 medals - six President’s Tatrakshak Medals (Distinguished Service), 11 Tatrakshak Medals (Gallantry) and 15 Tatrakshak Medals (Meritorious Service) - for 2022, 2023 and 2024 were presented to the personnel for their exemplary service, acts of valour, and selfless dedication to duty, often in challenging & extreme conditions.
Congratulating the personnel, Raksha Mantri described the medals as not just a memento, but a symbol of bravery, perseverance and unwavering resolve towards maintaining the honour of the tricolour. He commended the personnel for their efforts in ensuring coastal security, organisational efficiency, seizure of drugs, rescue operations and international exercises.
Shri Rajnath Singh highlighted the growth of ICG into a formidable, trustworthy and one of the most efficient marine forces in the world. “Geographically, India is surrounded by sea on three sides and its coastline is vast. The nation’s strategic security faces two types of threats. The first is war which is dealt by the Armed Forces, and the second are the challenges of piracy, terrorism, infiltration, smuggling & illegal fishing for which the marine forces, especially ICG, are always alert. ICG, working proactively to tackle these challenges, is a key player in ensuring strategic security,” he said.
In the last one year, ICG has achieved significant achievements in maritime safety, security and humanitarian operations. It apprehended 14 boats and 115 pirates, apart from carrying out a major drug seizure of about Rs 37,000 crore. In addition, ICG saved 169 lives through various rescue operations and provided medical assistance to 29 seriously injured people.
Raksha Mantri termed these achievements as not just statistics, but a story of ICG’s courage and dedication towards national security. By being alert on the maritime borders, ICG not only stops illegal infiltration, but also helps in positively impacting India’s sovereignty and internal security, he said. Shedding light on the emergence of unconventional threats due to the latest technological advancements, he called upon the marine forces, especially ICG, to remain alert of challenges such as cyber attacks, data breach, signal jamming, radar disruption and GPS spoofing, in addition to the conventional threats.
Shri Rajnath Singh asserted that the vision of a secure & prosperous India can only be realised if its security system is robust and the forces are strong. He reiterated Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi-led Government’s commitment to increasing the efficiency of ICG. “Indian Coast Guard has been allocated Rs 9,676.70 crore for the Financial Year 2025-26, which is 26.50% more than the previous budget. It is a crucial step towards modernising ICG. In addition, the procurement of 14 Fast Patrol Vessels, six Air Cushion Vehicles, 22 Interceptor Boats, six Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels and 18 Next Generation Fast Patrol Vessels has been approved to make ICG stronger,” he said.
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