Indian Coast Guard conducts 12th National Maritime Search & Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026) off Paradip coast in Odisha

1. At a Glance

• SAREX is the Indian Coast Guard's (ICG) national-level maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) exercise. It is held under the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board (NMSARB) to test readiness, how well agencies work together, and the response to Mass Rescue Operations (MRO) at sea. [1]
• The 12th edition (SAREX-2026) was held off Paradip, Odisha on 08 Oct 2026. Its scenario combined an aircraft emergency and a ship emergency at the same time. [1]
• Why it matters for UPSC: it links to GS-III (coastal security, disaster management), GS-II (SAGAR/MAHASAGAR and the Indian Ocean Region), and Prelims questions on agencies, Acts, conventions and assets.

2. Why in the News

• The ICG conducted SAREX-2026 on 08 Oct 2026 off Paradip, under the theme "Leveraging Technology to Strengthen SAR Preparedness and Maritime Safety". [1]
• 32 observers from 30 countries took part. The release calls this a significant step for international cooperation in maritime SAR. [1]
• DG ICG Paramesh Sivamani reviewed the exercise. [1]

3. Background & Evolution

• Coast Guard Act, 1978 set up the ICG as an "Armed Force of the Union" to secure India's maritime zones. Its listed measures include "the safety of life and property at sea". [5][6]
• India runs Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs) in line with the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, 1979 (SAR Convention). [8]
• The NMSAR Board meets every year. It discusses policy, frames guidelines and procedures, and checks how well the National Maritime SAR Plan is working. [4]
• Milestones:
• 18th and 20th (Gujarat) NMSAR Board meetings were held earlier. [9][10]
• The ICG also runs Regional SAR exercises, for example at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. [11]
• 11th SAREX (SAREX-24): Kochi, 28–29 Nov 2024, theme "Enhancing Search and Rescue Capabilities Through Regional Collaboration". [2][3]
• 23rd NMSAR Board meeting: Gandhinagar, 10 Nov 2025. [4]

• 12th SAREX: Paradip, 08 Oct 2026. [1]

• Inference (not stated in any source): the 11th edition was in 2024 and the 12th in 2026, so the exercise appears to be held about every two years.

4. Core Static Facts

Item	Fact
Conducting agency	Indian Coast Guard, under the Ministry of Defence [1][7]
Umbrella body	National Maritime Search and Rescue Board (NMSARB) [1]
NMSARB composition	31 members: central ministries/agencies, Armed Forces, all coastal States and UTs [4]
NMSARB periodicity	Meets annually [4]
Indian Search and Rescue Region (ISRR)	~4.6 million sq km [4]
Statute	Coast Guard Act, 1978 [5][6]
International framework	SAR Convention, 1979; India runs MRCCs under it [8]
SAREX-2026 theme	"Leveraging Technology to Strengthen SAR Preparedness and Maritime Safety" [1]
SAREX-2026 location and date	Off Paradip, Odisha, 08 Oct 2026 [1]
Foreign participation	32 observers from 30 countries [1]
ICG assets	15 ships, 3 Dornier aircraft, 3 ALH, 1 Chetak [1]
Other assets	IAF C-130J and Mi-17, 2 Indian Navy ships, civil and state resources, shore support [1]
Participating agencies	Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, Shipping Corporation of India, DG Shipping, Fisheries, Customs, Marine Police, Paradip Port Authority, Odisha State Administration [1]
Scenario	Passenger aircraft with 228 people ditches near Paradip Port; fuselage hits container vessel MV Zumba, causing damage and fire [1]
Drills	Incident Command Post activation, firefighting, helicopter evacuation, life rafts and air-droppable life rafts, Jason Cradle and Gemini recovery, rescue basket, scramble nets, ROV demonstration [1]

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Geopolitical / Strategic

• 32 observers from 30 countries attended. This presents India as a "dependable maritime SAR partner" in the region. [1]
• The exercise is linked to SAGAR and MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions). MAHASAGAR was announced in Mauritius in 2025. [1][12]
• MAHASAGAR moves India's maritime vision from a regional Indian Ocean focus to a global one centred on the Global South. [13]
• India is responsible for SAR across a 4.6 million sq km zone, which extends well beyond its EEZ. This is a soft-power and capacity-signalling role. [4]

Administrative / Governance

• The exercise is built on cooperation across many agencies: defence services, shipping, ports, fisheries, customs, marine police and the State government. [1]
• Federal angle: the NMSARB includes all coastal States and UTs, and the Odisha State Administration took part in SAREX-2026. [1][4]
• Using an Incident Command Post applies Incident Response System-style command to a sea disaster. [1]

Scientific / Technological

• The 2026 theme centres on technology. ROV capability and air-droppable life rafts were demonstrated. [1]
• IAF C-130J and Mi-17, together with ICG Dorniers and ALHs, show joint search and rescue from the air and sea. [1]

Disaster Management / Human Security

• The scenario combined an aviation and a maritime emergency in one MRO. Mass-casualty incidents at sea are low-probability but high-impact. [1]
• Stated principle: "every distress call must receive a coordinated response." [1]
• The NMSARB's remit explicitly covers mariners and fishermen, a vulnerable coastal livelihood group. [4]

Legal

• SAR is a statutory ICG function under the Coast Guard Act, 1978 ("safety of life and property at sea"). [5][6]
• India's MRCC obligations come from the SAR Convention, 1979. [8]

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 2025: PM announces Vision MAHASAGAR in Mauritius. [12][13]
• 10 Nov 2025: 23rd NMSAR Board meeting in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. [4]
• 2026: President reviews the International Fleet Review 2026 off Visakhapatnam. [14]
• 08 Oct 2026: SAREX-2026, the 12th edition, off Paradip, with 30 countries represented. [1]

7. Prelims Hooks

• SAREX-2026 is the 12th edition of the National Maritime SAR Exercise. [1]
• Venue: off Paradip, Odisha. The 11th edition was off Kochi, Kerala. [1][3]
• Conducted by the ICG under the aegis of the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board. [1]
• Theme 2026: "Leveraging Technology to Strengthen SAR Preparedness and Maritime Safety." [1]
• Theme 2024: "Enhancing Search and Rescue Capabilities Through Regional Collaboration." [3]
• 32 observers from 30 countries attended SAREX-2026. [1]
• Scenario: a passenger aircraft with 228 people ditches and hits container vessel MV Zumba. [1]
• Jason Cradle (recovers people from the water) and scramble nets were among the drills. [1]
• NMSAR Board: 31 members, meets annually. [4]
• Indian Search and Rescue Region ≈ 4.6 million sq km. [4]
• 23rd NMSAR Board meeting: Gandhinagar, 10 Nov 2025. [4]
• The ICG is an "Armed Force of the Union" under the Coast Guard Act, 1978. [5]
• The ICG comes under the Ministry of Defence, not the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. [7]
• MAHASAGAR = Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions, announced in Mauritius (2025). [12][13]
• India runs MRCCs under the International Convention on Maritime SAR, 1979. [8]

8. What a Planned Drill Cannot Show

• The date, place and story were all fixed in advance
• SAREX-2026 had a fixed date (08 Oct 2026), a fixed spot off Paradip, and a written scenario [1].
• In a real Mass Rescue Operation (MRO, a rescue where very many people are in danger at once), nobody knows the time, the place or the weather.

• So the exercise shows that agencies can work together. It does not show how fast they would react with no warning.

• Night is the hard part, and India's record there is weak

• A CAG audit found that the Coast Guard missed its night-flying target by an average of 32%, even after that target had been lowered [17].

• Many real sea accidents happen at night or in storms. A daytime drill tells us little about that.

• The assets were gathered in one place for the day

• 15 ICG ships, aircraft from the IAF and two Navy ships were brought to one area [1].

• A real accident far from Paradip would have to rely on whatever is patrolling nearby. That number is much smaller.

• Patrolling has gone up after disasters, not before them

• The CAG found that patrolling of the IMBL (International Maritime Boundary Line) and EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone, the sea area where India controls resources) rose 73% only after the 26/11 attacks [17].
• This shows a habit of reacting to a crisis instead of preparing for one. Planned drills alone do not fix that habit.

9. Too Few Ships and Planes for a 4.6 Million sq km Area

• The search area is huge, but the fleet was planned for less
• India must cover about 4.6 million sq km for search and rescue [4].
• The ICG's own study said it needed 175 ships and 221 aircraft to patrol well. In January 2008 it had only 68 ships and 45 aircraft [17].
• In December 2010 it had 65% of the ships and only 48% of the aircraft its long-term plan (the Perspective Plan 1985–2000) had aimed for [17].

• These numbers are old, and the fleet has grown since. But they show the basic problem: the area grew faster than the fleet.

• Aircraft matter most in a rescue, and that gap was the biggest

• Planes and helicopters find survivors fast and drop life rafts. SAREX-2026 itself showed air-droppable life rafts [1].

• When the air fleet is half of what is needed, the first hours of a rescue (when most lives are saved) are the weakest.

• The money asked for is not the money given

• For 2022-23, the ICG asked for ₹10,803.85 crore but was given only ₹7,310.29 crore [19].
• In 2021-22 it asked for ₹6,400 crore and first got ₹5,244.72 crore [19].

• A shortfall of about one-third makes it harder to buy new ships and aircraft, and to keep old ones working.

• Coastal stations lacked basic support

• The CAG found at least 16 Coast Guard stations had no jetty to dock ships and no place to refuel them [17].
• A ship that must sail far to refuel spends less time on patrol and reaches an accident later.

10. Rescue Starts With the Call — Where Fishermen Fall Through

• The drill tested the response, not the alert
• SAREX-2026 began after the alarm was already raised [1].

• For a small fishing boat, the real problem often comes earlier: telling anyone at all that it is in trouble.

• India built its own tool, but the first version had a flaw

• ISRO made the Distress Alert Transmitter (DAT), a small device on fishing boats that sends an SOS through a satellite. More than 20,000 have been in use since 2010 [18].
• The alert goes to a control centre and then to the Coast Guard's MRCCs (Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres, the offices that run rescues) [18].

• The first version gave no reply. A fisherman pressing the button did not know if anyone had received it.

• The new version fixes this using NavIC

• The second-generation DAT (DAT-SG) sends back a confirmation through NavIC, India's own satellite navigation system [18].
• This tells the crew help is coming. It also lets the Coast Guard send warnings, such as cyclone alerts, to boats at sea [18].

• The ISRO source does not say how many of India's fishing boats carry it. So the true coverage is unknown.

• Why this links to the NMSARB's remit

• The Board explicitly covers fishermen [4]. But a large national drill built around a passenger plane says little about a single boat lost in a storm. That is the more common case on India's coast.

11. What Should Follow the Exercise

• ICG and NMSARB should hold some drills without warning, and at night
• The CAG's 32% night-flying shortfall shows where readiness is weakest [17].

• Short-notice drills test the real reaction time, which a scheduled event cannot.

• NMSARB should publish what went wrong, not only what went well

• The official release lists the drills done, not the gaps found [1].

• A short public after-action report (a review of mistakes after an exercise) would let Parliament and States track whether problems get fixed by the next SAREX.

• MoD should close the gap between what the ICG asks for and gets

• The Standing Committee on Defence recorded the 2022-23 gap of about ₹3,500 crore [19].

• Aircraft should come first, because the CAG found the air fleet furthest behind its target [17].

• Fisheries departments of coastal States should fit DAT-SG on fishing boats

• ISRO has already built it and linked it to the MRCCs [18].

• All coastal States sit on the NMSARB [4]. The Board can set a target and check progress each year at its annual meeting.

• Fix the shore support before adding more ships

• The CAG found stations with no jetty and no fuel [17]. New ships are of little use if they cannot dock and refuel near where they patrol.

12. Anchors for Answers

• Data: ICG needed 175 ships and 221 aircraft but had 68 ships and 45 aircraft (Jan 2008); air arm at 48% of planned level (Dec 2010) [17]
• Data: ICG budget 2022-23: ₹7,310.29 crore given against ₹10,803.85 crore asked [19]
• Data: Over 20,000 ISRO Distress Alert Transmitters on fishing boats since 2010 [18]
• Report/Committee: CAG Performance Audit Report No. 7 of 2011 on the Role and Functioning of the Indian Coast Guard [17]; Standing Committee on Defence (2022-23), 17th Lok Sabha [19]
• Law/Case: Coast Guard Act, 1978 — "safety of life and property at sea" [5]; SAR Convention, 1979 [8]
• Scheme: ISRO DAT-SG using NavIC — sends the SOS from the boat and confirms back to the crew, filling the alert gap that comes before any rescue [18]

13. Mains Relevance

• GS-III: Security challenges and their management in border areas (coastal security); Disaster and disaster management; Role of security forces and agencies and their mandates.
• GS-II: India and its neighbourhood; bilateral, regional and global groupings (IOR, SAGAR/MAHASAGAR).
• Possible question stems: 1. India's Search and Rescue Region far exceeds its EEZ. Examine the institutional framework for maritime SAR in India and the challenges in carrying out mass rescue operations at sea. 2. Humanitarian capacity like maritime SAR is a tool of India's maritime diplomacy. Discuss with reference to SAGAR and MAHASAGAR. 3. Evaluate the role of inter-agency coordination and technology in strengthening India's maritime disaster response.

14. Related Topics to Study Next

• Coast Guard Act, 1978 and the ICG mandate: the legal basis for SAR and the ICG's place among the Armed Forces of the Union. [5]
• SAR Convention 1979 and MRCCs: the international obligations behind the ISRR. [8]
• Merchant Shipping Act, 2025: the new maritime safety law replacing the 1958 framework. [15]
• SAGAR → MAHASAGAR: how India's maritime doctrine has evolved. [13]
• Indian Navy's "MAHASAGAR" outreach: a different initiative with the same name (see Traps). [16]
• International Fleet Review 2026: naval diplomacy in the same year. [14]
• Regional SAREX and NMSAR Board meetings: how the SAR system works at the regional and policy levels. [4][11]

15. NCERT Concepts to Revise

• Exclusive economic zone (Geography): India's search and rescue region is far larger than its EEZ, so you must know what the EEZ is.
• Performance audit (Polity): The note relies on a CAG performance audit that exposed Coast Guard fleet, night-flying and shore-support gaps.
• Comptroller and Auditor General (Polity): The CAG's audit report supplies the note's key evidence on Coast Guard shortfalls; know the institution and its reports.
• NavIC (Geography): ISRO's new fishing-boat distress transmitter uses NavIC to confirm to the crew that their SOS was received.
• Standing committee (Polity): The Standing Committee on Defence recorded the gap between the Coast Guard's budget request and what it received.
• Indian Ocean (Geography): SAGAR and MAHASAGAR, and India's role as a maritime rescue partner, are set in the Indian Ocean region.

16. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Wrong ministry: the ICG is under the Ministry of Defence. DG Shipping (Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways) only takes part. [1][7]
• Two "MAHASAGARs":
• Vision MAHASAGAR (PM, Mauritius 2025) = Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. [12][13]

• The Indian Navy's MAHASAGAR = a virtual meeting of Maritime Heads, held twice a year since 2023. [16]

• Mixing up editions and venues: 11th = Kochi (2024); 12th = Paradip (2026). Do not confuse the national SAREX with regional SAREX events such as Kakinada. [1][3][11]

• Board vs exercise: the NMSAR Board meets every year (23rd meeting in 2025). The SAREX is a separate exercise and had reached only its 12th edition by 2026. [1][4]
• ISRR ≠ EEZ: the ISRR is about 4.6 million sq km. Do not equate it with India's EEZ. [4]