Coastal defence exercise 'Sea Vigil-26' (5th edition), 11–19 Nov

11 November 2026 · English Defence

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Current affairs of 11 November 2026 (Shanmugam IAS Academy) – explained for UPSC, TNPSC and other competitive exams

News

The pan-India coastal defence exercise 'Sea Vigil-26' is being held from 11 to 19 November 2026; it is the 5th edition of the exercise. The Indian Navy coordinates it as the lead agency. It runs in two phases: the Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE) phase from 11 to 17 November and the Sea Phase on 18–19 November. It covers India's entire coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), all coastal States and Union Territories, and fishing and coastal communities. The Navy, Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police, Customs and other agencies take part, facilitated by the Ministries of Defence, Home Affairs, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. It was conceptualised in 2018 to validate maritime-security measures taken after the 26 November 2008 Mumbai attacks; the first edition began on 22 January 2019. It serves as a build-up to the Navy's biennial Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX).

Key facts for the exam

Background

• The 26 November 2008 attack on Mumbai, by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who entered the city from Pakistan by sea, exposed gaps in coastal security. Afterwards the Navy was made responsible for overall maritime security and the Coast Guard for security in coastal waters; coastal police stations, joint operation centres and a coastal radar chain were set up.
• Under the Home Ministry's Coastal Security Scheme, Phase I (2005–2011) gave 73 coastal police stations and Phase II (2011–2016, later extended to 2020) envisaged 131. The Indian Coast Guard was constituted as an armed force of the Union under the Coast Guard Act, 1978, and works under the Ministry of Defence.
• The 7,516.6 km coastline used since the 1970s has been revised to 11,098.81 km under a new method using larger-scale maps (1:250,000) and counting 1,298 offshore islands (Union Shipping Ministry circular). It is a change in measurement, not physical growth. Among States, Gujarat (2,340.62 km) is first and Tamil Nadu (1,068.69 km) second; the Andaman and Nicobar Islands UT has 3,083.50 km.
• Under UNCLOS, the territorial sea extends 12 nautical miles and the Exclusive Economic Zone 200 nautical miles from the baseline. In India these are defined by the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and other Maritime Zones Act, 1976.

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Sources: MoD/Navy release via ANI, WebIndia123 and Raksha Anirveda (11 Nov 2026) – aninews.in, news.webindia123.com, raksha-anirveda.com; PIB – Ministry of Earth Sciences (4 Dec 2025, revised coastline) – moes.gov.in; Indian Navy – indiannavy.nic.in (first edition, 2019); MHA – mha.gov.in/scheme/coastal-security-scheme; India Seatrade News – indiaseatradenews.com (revised coastline); News On AIR – newsonair.gov.in. Compiled by Shanmugam IAS Academy.

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