Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday unveiled two landmark policy reforms for the Indian Coast Guard at Kartavya Bhavan-2. The first introduces a gender-neutral framework for officer induction, allowing women into both Short Service Appointments (SSA) and Permanent Appointments (PA) on par with men. SSA is also opened to male candidates. Equal career progression starts from training, existing PA women officers can be promoted, and SSA women may convert to PA. The second streamlines ex-gratia for Next of Kin of personnel missing at sea, enabling a ‘presumed dead’ declaration to speed compensation and benefits. Singh praised ICG’s five-decade service and affirmed the government’s commitment to a modern force ahead of its 2027 Golden Jubilee.
