Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has unveiled two major policy reforms for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) aimed at promoting gender parity in officer induction and service conditions, while streamlining ex-gratia procedures for the families of personnel reported missing at sea during duty. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Director General of the Indian Coast Guard Paramesh Sivamani, and other senior officials attended the event at Kartavya Bhavan-2, New Delhi, on 28 July 2026.
Congratulating the ICG on its service over the past five decades, Rajnath Singh expressed confidence that the reforms would strengthen the force’s morale and operational effectiveness as it approaches its Swarnim Jayanti (Golden Jubilee) in 2027. He also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to developing the ICG into a modern, capable and future-ready maritime force.
The first reform introduces a gender-neutral framework for officer induction by allowing women candidates to join both Short Service Appointments (SSA) and Permanent Appointments (PA) on par with male candidates, while SSA has also been opened to men. The policy ensures equal opportunities for career progression from the initial training stage. Existing women officers holding Permanent Appointments will be eligible for promotion subject to meeting the prescribed criteria, while serving women officers on SSA will have the option to convert to Permanent Appointments upon fulfilling the required conditions. The reform reflects the Government’s commitment to Nari Shakti and equal opportunity in the maritime security sector.
The second reform simplifies the process of granting ex-gratia compensation and terminal benefits to the Next of Kin (NoK) of personnel reported missing at sea while on duty. Under the new policy, the ICG is authorised to declare personnel missing at sea in the line of duty as ‘presumed dead’ for the purpose of ex-gratia benefits, significantly reducing administrative delays and ensuring timely support for affected families during difficult circumstances.
