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Indian Army
The
basic responsibility of the Army is to safeguard the territorial integrity of
the nation against external aggression. Due to the country’s long borders
encompassing different geographical and climatic conditions such as desert
terrain on the west, snow-covered mountains in the north and thick rainfed mountainous jungles in the east, the Army has to
constantly prepare itself for diverse challenges. In addition, the Army is
often required to assist the civil administration during internal security
disturbances and in the maintenance of law and order, in organising relief
operations during natural calamities like floods, earthquakes and cyclones
and in the maintenance of essential services. Demands on the Army have
increased manifold due to continuous deployment of its forces in intense
counter insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and the North East parts
of the country. To achieve these objectives, the Army has to be constantly
modernised, suitably structured, equipped and trained.
The
Indian Army is organised into five regional commands
- HQ Central Command, Lucknow
;
- HQ Eastern Command, Calcutta
;
- HQ Northern Command, Udhampur;
- HQ Western Command, Chandimandir;
and
- HQ Southern Command, Pune.
In
addition, there is a Army Training Command at Shimla for the purpose of laying down the training policy
for the Army.
The
Indian Army is divided into the following two broad categories:-
Arms
Arms
cover those troops which carry out actual operations. They consist of
- Infantry (including air-borne and mechanised)
- Armoured
- Aviation
- Artillery
- Air Defence Artillery
- Engineers
- Signals and
- Intelligence
These
are organised into units and sub-units at various echelons of commands.
Services
The
remaining components of the Army are the Services. Their primary duty is to
provide the logistic and administration for the Army.
For more detail please do visit http://armedforces.nic.in/welcome.html
Indian Navy
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India is a maritime nation strategically straddling
the Indian Ocean with or substantive seaborne trade.
The country’s economic well being is thus very closely linked to our
ability to keep our sea-lanes free and open at all times. Besides, India
has other maritime interests as well. Our island
territories situated on our Western and Eastern seaboards are at
considerable distances away from the mainland. To ensure their sustained
development, umbilical linkages with the mainland and maritime security
protection are essential pre-requisites of our maritime security. Our offshore
assets within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 2.02 million sq. kms, fisheries and deep sea interests, major and minor
harbours and the overall seaward security of long coastline and island
territories are other vital aspects of our maritime dimension and Navy’s
responsibilities.
Indian Navy has consciously taken the difficult route
of indigenisation in consonance with the national endeavour towards
self-reliance. The Navy embarked upon a programme for indigenous
construction of ships and development of major sub systems, sensors and
weapon systems with the help of Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
The Indian Navy is organised into three regional
commands
- HQ Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam
- HQ Western Naval Command, Mumbai; and
- HQ Southern Naval Command, Kochi
The
Indian Navy is divided into the following broad categories
- Administration
- Logistics and Material
- Training
- The Fleets
- The Naval Aviation and
- The Submarine Arm
For more
detail please do visit http://armedforces.nic.in/welcome.html
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Coast Guard
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The Coast Guard (CG) was set up as an Armed Force of
the Union in 1978 on recommendations of Rustamji Committee for preservation and protection of
our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The CG is responsible for keeping India’s
EEZ measuring over 2.02 million sq. kms. under regular surveillance in order to prevent poaching/
smuggling and other illegal activities in the EEZ. Besides, the CG’s
charter of duties includes pollution control at sea, search and rescue
(SAR) and protection of marine environment.
INDIAN COAST GAURD
DEVELOPMENT PLANS 2002–07 (CGDP
2002–07) :
Emergence of the Coast Guard in India on 01
Feb 1977 as a new service was the result of an awareness that had been
growing for some time in the Government for the requirement to enforce
National Laws in the waters under national jurisdiction and ensure safety
of life and property at sea. It was also considered desirable that these
law enforcement responsibilities should be undertaken by a service suitably
equipped and modeled on the Coast Guards of advanced nations like USA , UK etc leaving the Navy to exercise the fleet for
its wartime role. A committee was, therefore, constituted in Sep 1974 with Mr KF Rustamji as its
chairman to study the problem of seaborne smuggling and the question of
setting up a Coast Guard type of organization. The Coast Guard in its
present shape was formally inaugurated on 18 Aug 1978 as an independent
armed force of the union under Ministry Of Defence with the enactment of
the Coast Guard Act 1978 by the Parliament with its motto as `VAYAM
RAKSHAMAH; which means `WE PROTECT ' .
The Maritime Zones of India Act was passed on
25 Aug 1976, under which, India claimed 2.01 million sq km of sea area in
which India has the exclusive rights for exploration and exploitation of
resources, both living and non-living at sea. The Exclusive Economic Zone
of India is in the safe hands of Coast Guard for prevention of smuggling
and other illegal activities, to conduct Search and Rescue operations, to
protect and prevent the maritime environment of India and surveillance of
the Indian Territorial Waters.
The Command and Control of the India Coast
Guard lies with the Director General, Indian Coast Guard, at New Delhi . The organisation has three Regional Headquarters
at Mumbai, Chennai and Port Blair. The entire coastline of India is covered
by the 11 District Headquarters and 09 Coast Guard Stations under the
command of respective Regional Headquarters. A full fledged air wing of
Coast Guard operates from two Air Stations at Daman and Chennai, five Air
Enclaves at Mumbai, Goa, Kochi , Kolkatta and Port Blair.
The Primary duty of Indian Coast Guard is :
- To protect our ocean
and offshore wealth including Oil, Fish and Minerals.
- Protect the
artificial Islands and off-shore installations.
- To assist Mariners
in distress and safeguard life and property at sea
- To enforce Maritime
Laws with respect to sea, shipping, poaching, smuggling and narcotics.
- To preserve marine
environment and ecology and to protect rare species.
- To collect
scientific data
- To assist Indian
Navy during war situation
The Major Achievements of ICG during the last few years
in implementing the Maritime Law is as follows:
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Sl.
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Achievement
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2004
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2005
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2006
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2007
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2008*
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(a)
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Poaching boats apprehended
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21
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20
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27
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21
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27
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(b)
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Smuggling vessels apprehended
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01
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--
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03
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Nil
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04
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(c)
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Contraband confiscated
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03 Crores
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--
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238.58 Crores
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Nil
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5.5 Lakhs
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(d)
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Lives saved at sea
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1111
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789
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321
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195
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247
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(e)
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Ships saved from distress
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24 (Merchant Ships –05, Fishing
Vessel-19)
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13 (Merchant Ships –01 Fishing
Vessel-12)
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23 (Ship - 01, Fishing
Vessel-22)
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20 ( Marchant
Ships --09 Fishing Boats --11)
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19 ( Marchant
Ships --02 Fishing Boats --17)
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(f)
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Sea pollution averted
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--
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01
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11
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01
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--
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(g)
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Sea pollution combated
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02
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03
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02
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Nil
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Nil
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* till 30 Jun 2008
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To know more about Indian Coast Guard please visit http://www.indiancoastguard.nic.in/
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