INDIAN COAST GUARD INVESTITURE CEREMONY

Kochi, 11 Apr 2012

1.      Recognition and appreciation of individual acts of bravery and courage during tiring and extreme conditions by awarding medals to men in uniform is an old tradition of Armed Forces.  Medals are also awarded to deserving individuals in recognition of their devotion to duty, professionalism and meritorious service of a very high order.  The President’s Tatrakshak Medal and Tatrakshak Medal are the highest awards presented to Coast Guard personnel, for displaying exemplary courage, dedication, sincerity and devotion to duty.

2.      At the Indian Coast Guard Investiture Ceremony held at Kochi on 11 Apr 12, Shri AK Antony, Hon’ble Raksha Mantri awarded the President’s Tatrakshak Medal and Tatrakshak Medal to 30 officers and enrolled personnel of the Indian Coast Guard.

3.      As part of the ceremony, the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri also inspected the smartly turned out Ceremonial Guard. The ceremony was also witnessed by Vice Admiral KN Sushil, PVSM, AVSM, NM, ADC, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command and Vice Admiral MP Muralidharan, AVSM, NM, Director General of Indian Coast Guard and other dignitaries.

4.      In his address, the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri felicitated all the awardees and their family members, and urged every Coast Guard personnel to be proactive in meeting various challenges that are posed. He also stressed upon the necessity to strengthen our coastal security and requested all stakeholders of coastal security to work in unison. He also intimated that, Govt of India has approved setting up of eighteen coastal police stations in two phases along the Kerala coast, to function on ‘Hub and Spoke’ concept with the Coast Guard. Requisite sanctions have been accorded to further strengthen the Coast Guard.

5.      Inspector General VSR Murthy, TM, Commander, Coast Guard Region (A&N), Inspector General K Natarajan, TM, Deputy Director General (Policy and Plans), Deputy Inspector General Birendar Singh Yadav, Commander Coast Guard Region (NW) received the President’s Tatrakshak Medal for Distinguished Service.

6.      Tatrakshak Medals for Gallantry were awarded to DIG TKS Chandran, Commandant RK Vishwakarma, Commandant R Gour, Commandant SK Rana, Commandant Vijay Singh, Commandant S Chandola, Commandant PB Mandal, Dy Commandant Kinshuk Pal, PRD Balan ADH(QA), Karan Singh ADH(ME), Arun Kumar P/NVK(RP), Rajpal Singh P/NVK(SA), Sunil Kumar Singh U/NVK (RO) and Jijesh Kakkoth U/NVK (ME).

7.      Tatrakshak Medals for Meritorious service were awarded to DIG VD Chafekar, DIG Swami Dayal Bhanot, DIG Gopinathan Devanand, DIG Arun Srivastava, DIG Sudhir Sahani, DIG RH Nandodkar, Comdt GS Ralhi, Comdt DS Saini, Comdt NG Raveendran, Comdt Tekur Sashi Kumar, Comdt (JG) Ali Sadaf Raza, Asst Comdt P Vijay Kumar and Ramesh Kumar ADH (ME).