Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS)- Annie Besant

Syllabus subtopic: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

Prelims and Mains focus: details of the two ICGS; contributions of Annie Besant and Amrit Kaur; about Indian Coast Guard

News: Two Indian Coast Guard Ships (ICGS) — Annie Besant and Amrit Kaur — second and third in the series of five Fast Patrol Vessels (FPV) were commissioned by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar at Kolkata on Sunday

About the ships

• ICGS Annie Besant has been named in honour of Ms Annie Besant, an esteemed socialist and her eminent achievements towards the nation. Ms Annie Besant was a theosophist, women’s rights activist, writer, orator and supporter of Indian freedom. She was also a philanthropist and a prolific author who had written over three hundred books & pamphlets and contributed to the foundation of Banaras Hindu University. In 1916, she established the Indian Home Rule League, of which she became President. The ship is being based at Chennai under the operational and administrative control of Commander, Coast Guard Region East.

• ICGS Amrit Kaur derives her name from Ms Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur who belonged to the ruling family of Kapurthala, Punjab. She took an active part in Salt Satyagraha and the Quit India Movement. She served Independent India as its first Health Minister. She worked towards the upliftment of Harijan and the progress of women. She was the founder member of the All India Women’s Conference and founder President of the Indian Council for Child Welfare. The ship is being based at Haldia under the operational and administrative control of Commander, Coast Guard Region North East.

• The ships are 48.9 mtrs long & 7.5 meters wide with a displacement of 308 Tons. The ships are capable of achieving a maximum speed of 34 Knots, powered with MTU 4000 Series Engines and propelled by three 71S type III Kamewa waterjet of Rolls Royce. The ships are built indigenously by M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, Kolkata.

• The ships are capable of undertaking multi-faceted tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, Search & Rescue and Medical Evacuation. The ships are fitted with state-of-the-art technology, navigation & communication equipment, sensors and machinery. The ships are also equipped with Bofors 40/60 gun and 12.7 mm SRCG (Stablized Remote Controlled Gun) for enhancing the fighting efficiency of the ship. The ships carry one RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) and one Gemini Boat each for swift boarding and Search & Rescue operations.

• Both the ships have a complement of 05 Officers and 34 men each.

About the Indian Coast Guard

• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) protects India’s maritime interests and enforces maritime law
• It has jurisdiction over the territorial waters of India, including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone.
• The Indian Coast Guard was formally established on 18 August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India as an independent Armed force of India.
• It is responsible for marine environment protection in maritime zones of India and is the coordinating authority for response to oil spills in Indian waters.
• It operates under the Ministry of Defence
• HQ : New Delhi