INDIA. Mumbai: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is hosting a one-week course on Search and Rescue (SAR) operations for 22 personnel from six different countries at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (Mumbai).
The officers and sailors from Bangladesh, the Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka are conducting the course under the aegis of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC). The Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) steered the program. The ITEC is the leading capacity-building platform that builds upon India’s vast and rich network of governance and development-related expertise.
The course is based on international best practises and covers the legal background of SAR, SAR planning and coordination, datum and search plan computation, case studies, and more.
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), lectures on “Harmonization of Aeronautical and Maritime SAR” from the Airport Authority of India, and satellite-aided SAR operations by the Indian Mission Control Centre (INMCC) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). According to an official statement, the scientists from the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) will share their expertise with visiting personnel.
The trainees are being provided practical exposure to SAR coordination techniques at MRCC Mumbai, the Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) of the Airport Authority of India, and the DG Comm Center, an online Marine Casualty Reporting Centre of the Directorate General of Shipping.
The course was inaugurated by the Commander Coast Guard Region (West), Inspector General Manoj Vasant Baadkar, in the presence of the Chief of Staff and Chief Staff Officer of the Coast Guard Region (West), who interacted with the trainee foreign officers.
Inaugurating the event, Inspector General Manoj Baadkar stressed the need for cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). He mentioned that not only our history, culture, and economy remained interconnected, but our present-day challenges and their solutions are also interconnected and interdependent.
“The IOR maritime domain is fundamental to global and regional economic and environmental well-being. We have obligations for maritime and aeronautical search and rescue (SAR), marine environment protection, conservation measures, climate change, shared responsibilities towards disaster relief, and response to transnational organized crime and other maritime challenges,” IG Manoj Baadkar added.
He also highlighted a guiding principle from the prime minister’s mantra, SAGAR, which stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region, and our Neighbourhood First Policy. We endeavor to take our cooperation to the next level.
This year, India has assumed the presidency of the G-20, and the theme is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” or “One Earth, One Family, and One Future.”. Cooperation with our neighbors has always been a priority for us.
He urged the trainees to fortify the SAR and operations structures by assimilating knowledge gained during the course and forging life-long friendships. Our primary maritime safety and security responsibilities necessitate cooperation and coordination across the seas.
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