<Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> DG ICG </Td> </Tr> <P> The Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (DG ICG) is the head of the Indian Coast Guard . The DG ICG has their office in the Coast Guard Headquarters (CGHQ) in New Delhi . Appointed by the Government of India, the DG ICG reports to the Minister of Defence . The Director General is assisted by four Deputy Directors General, each holding the rank of inspector - general, and other senior officers heading various staff divisions . The Additional Director General of the ICG serves as the second - in - command to the Director General . The post of Director General of the Indian Coast Guard is held by a three - star rank holder as a position and is not a rank in itself . It is a Commander - in - Chief grade and is equivalent to Vice Admiral of the Indian Navy, Lieutenant General of the Indian Army and the Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force . The rank of Additional Director General of the Indian Coast Guard is equivalent to vice admiral of Higher Administrative Grade of the Indian Navy . </P> <P> After the Coast Guard Act 1978 came into force on 19 August 1978, the first Director General was appointed on the same day . Vice Admiral V.A. Kamath, deputed from the Indian Navy, served as the first DG ICG . Appointed on 19 August 1978, he served in the capacity until 31 March 1980 . Traditionally, appointees to the DG position have come from the Indian Navy, although the current office holder, Rajendra Singh, is a direct entry Coast Guard officer . While several previous Directors General have come from the Coast Guard stream--such as Rameshwar Singh and P. Paleri--they have all initially been commissioned into the Indian Navy before later being permanently deputed to the Coast Guard service . As such, Singh has the distinction of being the first regular direct entry officer of the Indian Coast Guard to be promoted to the position of ADG and to achieve three - star rank, doing so on 11 January 2013 . He was later appointed as the DG, taking over this position in early 2016 . Singh succeeded Vice Admiral H.C.S. Bisht on 1 March 2016 . Besides the distinction of being the first three - star rank officer of the Indian Coast Guard, Rajendra Singh is the first Coast Guard officer to become the Director General . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> #</Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Image </Th> <Th> Appointment date </Th> <Th> Left office </Th> <Th> Notes </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral V.A. Kamath </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 19 August 1978 </Td> <Td> 31 March 1980 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> First holder of the position of DG ICG . </Li> <Li> Prior to his appointment as the DG ICG, he served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff . </Li> <Li> Member of the Rustamji Committee, the committee appointed to suggest measures for the creation of Indian Coast Guard . </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral Swaraj Prakash </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 April 1980 </Td> <Td> 31 March 1982 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral M.R. Schunkar </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 April 1982 </Td> <Td> 31 March 1984 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral S. Jain </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 19 June 1984 </Td> <Td> 14 February 1985 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral I.J.S. Khurana </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 15 February 1985 </Td> <Td> 30 June 1987 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral H. Johnson </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 10 July 1987 </Td> <Td> 27 June 1990 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral S.W. Lakhar </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 28 June 1990 </Td> <Td> 31 August 1992 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral K.K. Kohli </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 5 October 1992 </Td> <Td> 3 January 1995 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral P.J. Jacob </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 4 January 1995 </Td> <Td> 17 November 1996 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral R.N. Ganesh </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 18 November 1996 </Td> <Td> 4 March 1999 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral C. de Silva </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 5 March 1999 </Td> <Td> 6 March 2001 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> Director General Rameshwar Singh </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 7 March 2001 </Td> <Td> 29 September 2001 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral O.P. Bansal </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 30 September 2001 </Td> <Td> 12 January 2003 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral Sureesh Mehta </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 13 January 2003 </Td> <Td> 19 August 2004 </Td> <Td> Later served as the Chief of the Naval Staff of India . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral A.K. Singh </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 20 August 2004 </Td> <Td> 24 February 2006 </Td> <Td> Later served as the Commander - in - Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command and as the FOC - in - C of the Eastern Naval Command . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> Director General Dr. Prabhakaran Paleri </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 28 February 2006 </Td> <Td> 31 August 2006 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral R.F. Contractor </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 31 August 2006 </Td> <Td> 30 November 2008 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral Anil Chopra </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 December 2008 </Td> <Td> 29 October 2011 </Td> <Td> Later served as the FOC - in - C of the Western and the Eastern Naval Commands . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral M.P. Muralidharan </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 November 2011 </Td> <Td> 28 February 2013 </Td> <Td> Prior to his appointment as the DG ICG, he served as the Chief of Personnel at the IHQ of MoD (Navy) and as the first commandant of the Indian Naval Academy . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral Anurag G. Thapliyal </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 March 2013 </Td> <Td> 31 January 2015 </Td> <Td> Prior to his appointment as the DG ICG, he served as the commandant of the Indian Naval Academy . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> Vice Admiral Harish Bisht </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 February 2015 </Td> <Td> 28 February 2016 </Td> <Td> Present FOC - in - C of the Eastern Naval Command . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> Director General Rajendra Singh </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 March 2016 </Td> <Td> present </Td> <Td> The first regular Coast Guard officer to be appointed the Director General . He is the Indian Governor to the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre at Singapore . He is also Chairman of the National Maritime SAR Board and Offshore Security Coordination Committee . </Td> </Tr> </Table>

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