Children of serving, retired and deceased Indian Coast Guard personnel will have access to higher education programmes at Karnavati University under a new agreement signed at the university’s seventh convocation in Gandhinagar.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Coast Guard Welfare and Wellness Association (CGWWA), known as Tatrakshika, and Karnavati University. The agreement aims to help Coast Guard families pursue higher education and give their children access to academic programmes offered by the university.

Director General Paramesh Sivamani, AVSM, PTM, TM, of the Indian Coast Guard attended the ceremony as the Chief Guest. Ms Navika Kumar, Editor-in-Chief of the Times Group, was the Guest of Honour.

The agreement was signed by Smt Priya Paramesh, President of Tatrakshika, and Shri Ritesh Hada, President of Karnavati University, in the presence of senior officers and other guests.

The announcement came as the university awarded degrees and gold medals to PhD scholars and graduating students from different fields of study.

The MoU sets out a route for Coast Guard families to seek higher education at a private university in Gujarat. However, the announcement did not state how many students would receive support, the number of seats available, or whether the arrangement would include financial aid or scholarships. Details of the admission process and the terms of any fee support were also not provided.

These details will matter to families deciding whether they can afford university study and which courses their children may be able to take.

The Indian Coast Guard was formed in 1977 and formally inaugurated on 19 August 1978. It works under the Ministry of Defence and is responsible for protecting India’s maritime interests, enforcing laws at sea and helping people in danger in Indian waters.

Its work often takes personnel away from home for long periods. The service also operates across India’s long coastline and maritime zones, where it carries out duties linked to maritime safety, law enforcement and the protection of marine resources.

For families of serving personnel, access to education can be an important concern. Children may face changes in their home life as parents move between postings or spend time at sea. Families of retired personnel may also have to plan for the cost of higher education after service ends.

The new agreement includes the children of deceased Coast Guard personnel, a group for whom education support can be especially important. The Coast Guard already has welfare measures for the families of personnel who die in service. Its welfare association provides education grants to children of deceased personnel, according to the organisation’s published activities.

CGWWA has a long history of working with Coast Guard families. It began as a welfare group linked to the service in 1977 and was formally registered as Tatrakshika on 29 November 1994. It was renamed the Coast Guard Welfare and Wellness Association in May 2025.

The association works on welfare programmes for Coast Guard families, including education, health and support for women and children. Its activities have also included help for widows and families facing hardship.

The Karnavati University agreement adds a university-based option to this work. The terms announced on 31 October allow eligible wards to access academic programmes at the institution, although the precise eligibility rules and benefits are yet to be made public.

Karnavati University, located at Uvarsad near Gandhinagar, was established in 2017 under Gujarat’s private university law. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in fields such as design, management, law, technology, liberal arts, communication and dentistry.

The university’s seventh convocation marked the completion of studies for students across its academic disciplines. The Director General presented degrees and gold medals to PhD scholars and graduating students.

Addressing the graduates, Sivamani congratulated them and their families on reaching the milestone. He urged them to carry the values of discipline, integrity and service to the nation into their working lives.

For the Coast Guard, the partnership reflects the role of family welfare in supporting personnel who serve at sea. For the university, it provides a way to extend its academic programmes to a group of students whose parents have served the country.

The agreement’s practical value will depend on how it is put into effect. Families will need clear information about admission conditions, available courses, costs and the support offered to eligible students.

The convocation brought together two areas of public life: the education of young people and the welfare of personnel serving India’s maritime interests. The MoU gives Coast Guard wards a further route to higher education, while its full reach will become clearer once the university and the association publish details of the scheme.

Must Read:

Suryakiran Air Show: Indian Air Force Jets Fly Over Bhavnagar