Why in news?
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) seized 86 kg of suspected heroin worth Rs 602 crore from a Pakistani boat, which was on its way to Sri Lanka via Tamil Nadu.
The drugs were seized off the Porbandar coast in Gujarat during a joint ICG operation with the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
The action was undertaken as part of Operation Sagarmanthan series that aims to make India drug-free.
What’s in Today’s Article?
- India’s Maritime security – Importance, mechanism, issues
- Indian Coast Guard (ICG)
Importance of maritime security
- Maritime security of vast coastlines
- India has along 7,516-km coastline, including island territories, and a 2 million sq km Exclusive Economic Zone.
- The importance of maritime security was evident following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
- Economic and energy security
- 95% of India’s trade by volume and 70% by value transit through the seas.
- Strengthening the country’s maritime security is also necessary as India is focusing on becoming a blue economy.
- The Indian government is set to clear the Deep Ocean Mission for the blue water economy.
- Geostrategic Need
- China is penetrating into the Indian Ocean through Pakistan and Myanmar.
- Enhanced maritime security will give a boost to India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth of All in the Region) doctrine.
- Under this doctrine, India has envisioned a role of net security provider for itself in the IOR.
Mechanisms to ensure maritime security
- Coastal border management was institutionalised in 2004 with the establishment of the Department of Border Management in the MHA.
- However, after the ‘26/11’ attacks, coastal and maritime security underwent a paradigm shift. These included:
- A three-tier security grid the Indian Navy, the coast guard, and the marine police;
- Increased electronic surveillance using Coastal radar chain, Automatic identification system (AIS), Vessel traffic management and information system
- Establishment the National Command Control Communication and Intelligence (NC3I) Network;
- Sagar Prahari Bal for protecting of naval bases has been raised by Navy;
- Establishment of Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR).
Associated Issues in maintaining maritime security
- There are no formal or commonly accepted definitions of concepts like ‘maritime security’, ‘coastal security’ and ‘coastal defence’. Sometimes, it leads to vagueness.
- Multiple institutions are involved and there is lack of coordination.
- Turf war between MHA and Ministry of Defence (MoD). Demands are being made to bring Coast Guard under the control of
- Fishermen are considered as the eyes and ears for coastal security. However, discontent among fishermen community, involvement of politics in fishermen issues etc. are further complicating the security architecture.
- Inadequate infrastructure, acute shortage of manpower is posing challenges in providing maritime security in India.
Indian Coast Guard (ICG)
- About
- The ICG is a maritime armed force and search and rescue agency that protects India's maritime and national interests.
- It was established in February 1977 by the Coast Guard Act of the Parliament of India and operates under the Ministry of Defence.
- ICG's missions include
- Protecting artificial islands, offshore terminals, and other installations
- Protecting and assisting fishermen and mariners at sea
- Marine Pollution control
