V S Pathania takes charge as ICG Chief

VS Pathania took charge as the Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Friday, an official statement said.

Pathania replaced K Natarajan, who served as the Chief of the ICG from July 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021.

Pathania is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and National Defence College, New Delhi, the ICG's statement said.

He is a qualified helicopter pilot and holds a Master's Degree in Defence and Strategic Studies from the University of Madras, it mentioned. ''He has also undergone specialisation in search and rescue and port operations with the US Coast Guard,'' it stated.

Pathania was elevated to the rank of additional director general in November 2019 and took over the reins as Coast Guard Commander (Eastern Seaboard) at Visakhapatnam, it mentioned. ''The period under his apex watch on eastern seafront saw surge in major operations that included apprehension of gold and tons of drugs/narcotic substance worth thousands of crores, pollution response operations, joint exercises with foreign coast guard, anti-poaching operations, mass rescue operations and humanitarian assistance during cyclones/natural calamities and strengthened coastal security,'' it noted.