Indian Coast Guard Eligibility Criteria (Plus Duties)

The Indian coast guard is a multi-mission organisation that conducts real-life operations at sea throughout the year. Graduates who want to serve the nation by protecting the marine environment and controlling marine pollution often look for a career as a coast guard in the Indian Navy. You can apply for one of the three different posts available in the Indian coast guard services, including Yantrik, Navik or Assistant Commandants, subject to eligibility criteria. In this article, we will discuss the Indian coast guard eligibility criteria along with their duties.

Indian coast guard eligibility criteria for Navik and Yantrik posts

The Indian coast guard eligibility criteria for Navik and Yantrik posts are as follows:

Age limit

The candidates aged 18 to 22 can apply for any of the three posts offered under the Indian coast guard recruitment. If you belong to the SC, ST and OBC categories, you may have a few years of age relaxation. There is an age relaxation of up to 5 years for candidates belonging to the SC or ST category. For those belonging to the OBC category, there is an age relaxation of up to 3 years.

Educational qualifications

You may apply to the Navik (General Duty) post if you have passed 10+2 with Mathematics and Physics for an education board recognised by the Council of Boards for School Education (COBSE). You would be eligible to apply to the Navik (Domestic Branch) post if you have passed the 10th class from an education board recognised by the COBSE. To apply to the Yantrik post, meeting one of the following criteria is mandatory:

• passed 10th class from an education board recognised by the Council of Boards for School Education (COBSE) and a Diploma in Electrical/Mechanical/Electronics/Telecommunication (Radio/Power) Engineering with a duration of 3-4 years and approved by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE)

• passed 10th and 12th class from an education board recognised by the Council of Boards for School Education (COBSE) and a Diploma in Electrical/Mechanical/Electronics/Telecommunication (Radio/Power) Engineering with a duration of 2-3 years and approved by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE)

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Nationality

Only candidates with Indian nationality can apply for the Indian coast guard's Yantrik and Navik posts. If you are applying to any of these posts, you can prove your nationality by showing valid proof of identity. It can be your Aadhaar card or your passport, as requested by the authorities at the Indian coast guard.

Number of attempts

The Indian coast guard conducts recruitment once a year through the Indian coast guard exam. As long as you fit the criteria of 18-22 years, you can appear for the recruitment exam. There are no restrictions on the number of attempts you take at the exam until you are within the required age bracket.

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Experience

Candidates who fulfil the educational qualifications and fall under the age criteria set by the Indian coast guard can appear for the Indian coast guard exam without worrying about the experience. The Recruitment Board at the Indian coast guard has set no experience criteria for the candidates. You may apply to any of the three positions if you meet all the criteria.

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Indian coast guard eligibility criteria for the assistant commandant post

Below are the eligibility criteria to apply to the post of assistant commandant under the India coast guard:

• meet the age requirement of 18-22 years

• hold a bachelor's degree in any discipline

• an Indian national with valid proof of nationality

• a male candidate, as only male candidates may apply to the assistant commandant's post

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What are the duties of an Indian coast guard officer?

The Indian coast guard is a multi-mission organisation that protects the nation's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The motto of the Indian coast guard translates to "We Protect," and the organisation protects the maritime and other national interests of India. As an Indian coast guard officer, you may perform the following duties:

Safety and protection of artificial islands and offshore terminals

The primary duty of an Indian coast guard officer is to ensure the safety and protection of the artificial islands, offshore terminals, installations, other structures and devices in the maritime zone. An artificial island is an island that is constructed by people rather than natural processes. As a coast guard, your duty may require you to go on regular patrolling for control and surveillance purposes. The coast guard ships and aircraft take regular patrols, monitoring the Offshore Development Areas (ODAs) on the Eastern and Western seaboard to ensure protection and safety from any illegal activity.

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Protection of fishers

As an Indian coast guard, your job would be to protect the fishermen working at the sea. The coast guard ships and the shore establishments organise regular Community Interaction Programmes (CIPs) to inform the fishermen about safety measures adopted at sea. During these community programs, a coast guard officer also delivers information regarding boats and fishing gears used at sea. The fisherfolk also receive the information about maritime security and related aspects to protect fishers and other workers at sea.

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Assistance for distressed fishers at sea

Many fishers get stuck at sea or face other problems. As an Indian coast guard officer, it would be your duty to assist distressed fishers at sea and protect them from any unforeseen dangers or circumstances. At times, fishers cannot find their way back and get lost in the sea. During these times, the coast guard team begins the Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts in cooperation with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) and other coast guard Units. The Indian coast guard team continuously communicates with the state government departments to ensure quick execution of SAR operations.

Prevention and control of marine pollution

As a coast guard, you may work to eliminate the harmful effects of oil spilling on our marine ecosystem. An oil spill is pollution caused by human activities. It happens when excess liquid petroleum hydrocarbon gets released into the environment, damaging our marine ecosystem. A coast guard's duty is to prevent oil spilling. For this, they conduct regular training for all stakeholders and oil agencies to plan and validate the emergency course of actions to prevent environmental damage in case of marine oil spills.

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Assistance to the customs in anti-smuggling operations

The Indian coast guard actively takes part in anti-smuggling operations in coordination with the customs and other enforcement authorities to prevent the import and export of contraband goods and other banned items by the Government of India. Contraband refers to the goods that are imported from and exported to a country by illegal means.

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Maritime law enforcement

A key duty of an Indian coast guard is to enforce the maritime laws and regulations. The Indian coast guard ships and aircraft undergo regular patrols to ensure that all the maritime rules and regulations are in place. The coast guard also checks the international treaties to which India is a signatory to ensure that no one is breaching the rules and agreements.