New Delhi: Inspector General Anil Kumar Harbola assumed the command of Coast Guard Region (NW) at Gandhinagar today. The flag officer joined the service in Jan 1989. A silver medalist in Physics from Kumaun University, Nainital, he also holds Master’s degree in Management Studies from Osmania University and that in Security and Strategic Studies from Madras University. Having completed his ab initio military training from Indian Naval Academy, he later specialised in ‘Naval Communication’. Over the years in the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), he has served approximately 16 years in sea going appointments in almost all the types of ships held with ICG.

He has commanded four coast guard ships namely Sangram, Varad, Tarabai and Hovercraft H-182, when these armed amphibious platforms were initially inducted into Indian Coast Guard. In 1998, the officer while commanding Coast Guard Ship Tarabai, apprehended hijacked Japanese merchant vessel ‘Alondra Rainbow’ along with hijackers after chasing the vessel for almost 750 kms in the Arabian sea. He was awarded ‘Tatrakshak Medal’ (TM) for ‘Gallantry’ by the Hon’ble President of India for the same.

His important appointments ashore include coast guard commander for Maharashtra and that for Andhra Pradesh, Chief of staff at CG region (A&N) at Port Blair, Chief Staff Officer (Pers & Adm) at Regional Headquarters Mumbai, Joint Director of communication and recruitment Coast Guard Headquarters, New Delhi and Coast Guard Advisor (CGA) to the Director General of Indian Coast Guard (DGICG). He has also been commended by the DGICG.

The officer is an alumnus of US Coast Guard’s International Maritime Officers’ School, York Town, Virginia, College of Defence Management, Secunderabad and that of National Defence College New Delhi. He is also a qualified Interviewing Officer (IO) from Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR), New Delhi

Prior to assuming the present assignment, he was serving as Coast Guard Commander for Northeast region at Kolkata.