1.    The XXVII Coast Guard Commander’s Conference was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Shri AK Antony at 1115 hrs on 24 Sep 08 at New Delhi. The conference, spread over three days, serves as an opportunity to rework the existing policies pertaining to the Coast Guard charter with reference to the evolving maritime scenario.

 2.     Inaugurating the Coast Guard Commander’s Conference, the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri, Shri AK Antony, in the presence of Defence Secretary, Shri Vijay Singh, Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral RP Suthan, AVSM, VSM, Director General of Indian Coast Guard, Vice Admiral   RF Contractor, AVSM, NM, and other senior officers from Ministry of Defence and Coast Guard Headquarters, complimented the Coast Guard personnel for displaying dedication, commitment, resolve and rare courage at a time when terrorism is the most topical threat and the usage of the vast anonymity  of oceans by the  perpetrators of violence and crime cannot be overlooked anymore.  He urged the Coast Guard to be always mission ready and make endeavours to modernize its existing fleet with new sensors and equipment.

3.     Praising the efforts of the Coast Guard in training the Police Personnel of the Coastal States so that the Marine Police stations all along the coastal areas are activated in a time bound manner, the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri lauded the Coast Guard for saving 284 lives at sea during the year gone by and for continuance of sustained Maritime Anti- Poaching Operations.  He also stated that the efforts of the Coast Guard in pursuing bilateral co-operation with various nations so as to share best practices and achieve synergised inter- operability will result in fostering strategic partnerships for the future. The Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, Vice Admiral RF Contractor briefed the Hon’ble Defence Minister about the performance of the organisation in the pursuance of its mandated charter during the year gone by.

4.    The Indian Coast Guard with its force level of 92 ships and boats and 45 aircraft has been protecting the maritime and other national interests of India on a 365 X 24 X 7 basis.  The operational achievements of the service in 2007 include apprehension of 21 foreign fishing vessels along with 243 crew engaged in illegal fishing in Indian Waters. On the humanitarian front, the Coast Guard has also conducted flood relief operations in states of West Bengal and Orissa during which Coast Guard teams distributed approximately 11.1 tons of relief material and provided medical treatment to 410 persons.  Ever since the Govt of India has ratified the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) in which 14 Asian countries are the contracting parties, the Coast Guard has been proactive on issues related to Maritime Piracy as the nominated focal point for India. The bilateral cooperation between Indian Coast Guard and other maritime nations has also seen a fresh impetus in the recent past due to this initiative.

5.     To address the maritime  security issues off the Gujarat Coast, ICGAE Porbandar, the second Indian Coast Guard Air Enclave on the West coast was commissioned on 12 Jun 08 by Hon’ble Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri M M Pallam Raju. Indian Coast Guard Air Enclave, Porbandar with dedicated aviation assets will serve to augment the surveillance capabilities of Indian Coast Guard along the West coast. It will also ensure maritime security and safety of the coast by timely deployment of air assets. Through constant vigilance not only will it abate the poaching, terrorist activities and smuggling but also provide much needed succor to the mariners during Search & Rescue, marine environment preservation and natural calamities. To strengthen the surface surveillance efforts of the Indian Coast Guard on 20 May 08, Indian Coast Guard Ship Sanlkalp was commissioned at M/s Goa Shipyard Ltd, Goa. The ship, which is the fifth of the Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPV) is based at Mumbai and has bolstered the operational prowess of the Indian Coast Guard.

6.     The Honourable Minister emphasised that the safety and security of Indian vital offshore installations in the Offshore Development Areas (ODAs) must be ensured at all times.  After the inauguration ceremony, the Honourable Minister also interacted with the media at the Coast Guard Headquarters.

 7.     The Trophies for the "Best Coast Guard Unit", "Best SAR unit" , "Best Aviation Unit" and the "Best Maintained Unit" were awarded by Vice Admiral RF Contractor, AVSM, NM Director General, Indian Coast Guard to the Commanding Officers of "ICGS Akkadevi", "ICGS Amritkaur", 700 Sqn CG and "ICGS Bhikhaji Cama" respectively during this function.