Indian Coast Guard (ICG) decommissioned two Sarojini Naidu-class Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) in August 2026 after around two decades of maritime service: ICGS Meera Behn and ICGS Subhadra Kumari Chauhan. Both vessels made significant contributions to coastal surveillance, maritime security and protection of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
ICGS Meera Behn
- Pennant No.: 234
- Decommissioned: 21 August 2026
- Location: Okha Port, Gujarat
- Built by: Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL)
- Commissioned: 25 July 2006
- Service: Remained homeported at Okha throughout its operational career, undertaking EEZ protection and coastal surveillance.
- Decommissioning ceremony: Conducted with full Armed Forces honours, including a Guard of Honour and formal lowering of the Coast Guard Ensign.
ICGS Subhadra Kumari Chauhan
- Pennant No.: 233
- Decommissioned: 27 August 2026
- Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Commissioned: 28 April 2006
- Service: Completed more than 20 years of active operational service, contributing to coastal security and maritime monitoring along India’s western coast.
- Ceremony: A solemn event in Mumbai attended by Coast Guard officials and veterans.
Sarojini Naidu-Class FPVs
- The Sarojini Naidu class consists of seven Mid Shore Patrol Vessels built by Goa Shipyard Limited at Vasco da Gama, Goa.
- They were produced between 2002 and 2006 for the Indian Coast Guard.
- The class is named after notable Indian women.
- During their service, vessels of this class undertook important missions including:
- Counter-smuggling operations
- Anti-piracy activities
- Fisheries protection
- Search-and-rescue operations
- Coastal surveillance and maritime security
Historical Figures Behind Names
Meera Behn (Madeleine Slade)
- Born into an aristocratic British family as the daughter of a Royal Navy Rear-Admiral.
- Inspired deeply by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy, she gave up her privileged life in England and joined the Gandhian movement.
- She participated in the Non-Cooperation and Quit India movements.
- She was imprisoned alongside Gandhi at the Aga Khan Palace in Pune.
Subhadra Kumari Chauhan
- A prominent Hindi poet and freedom activist born in Uttar Pradesh.
- Used Hindi literature to promote patriotism and resistance against colonial rule.
- Along with her husband, she participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1921.
- She became the first woman Satyagrahi to court arrest in Nagpur.