Kollam, February 27:With coastal security becoming a major area of concern, India’s first Coast Guard Academy would be set up at Azheekkal near Kannur in north Kerala, Defence Minister A K Antony said here today.
164 acres land for the Academy had already been acquired by KINFRA, state’s infrastructure development agency, Antonysaid after dedicating the Titanium Sponge Plant at the Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited at Chavara near here.
The Defence Ministry decided to set up an Academy exclusively to bring out personnel with specialised training in coastal security operations, he said.
Indian Coast Guard had become an important agency in maintaining security of the country’s territorial waters in view of terrorist threats and increasing presence of pirates, Antony said, adding the Academy would have the potential to become one of the best such institutions in Asia.
It is the Coast Guard which carries out rescue operations in times of natural calamities and helps fishermen when they are in distress so ensuring the safety and security of fishermen along the Indian coast was also important, he said.
The Rs 143.11 crore Titanimum Sponge Plant, fully funded by ISRO, is a major Centre-state joint venture project of strategic and scientific importance.
With the commissioning of the plant, India would join select nations having the capability to develop titanium sponge after US, China, Russia, Japan, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
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