Centre plans to fix ship lifespan after Kerala wreck; MSC told to set up claims desk
KOCHI: The Union government is working on a proposal to fix the lifespan of vessels operating in Indian waters.
Responding to queries regarding the shipwreck near Kerala coast, Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan said age was not a factor and the ship complied with international norms. However, he said there is a need to enhance the inspection regime to ensure that vessels operating in Indian waters comply with the maritime norms.
'We have some concerns about some old vessels operating in Indian waters. We are working on a proposal to fix the lifespan of vessels. Also, we have to enhance the inspection regime. We will be further monitoring the operations of these vessels,' he said.
According to experts, old cargo vessels can encounter operational issues due to outdated technology, wear and tear, and corrosion. While it is mandatory for vessels to undergo dry docking every five years to ensure seaworthiness, improper maintenance can pose challenges. If maintained properly, the lifespan of a cargo ship may extend to 30 years. However, corrosion, wear and tear of mechanical parts and absence of modern navigational equipment raise questions about their fitness.
'The safety and environmental requirements of ships are governed by the norms of International Maritime Organisation. There are no international norms that decide the cut-off date for the operations of a ship. It depends upon the commercial decision of the owner. If the vessel is fit to be certified as operational by competent agencies, it will be permitted to operate,' said Shyam Jagannathan.
'The seaworthiness of a vessel is not determined by its age but the certification. If the vessel is duly certified by the authorities concerned, it is considered good for operations. The vessels undergo periodical dry docking as per regulatory requirements. The vessel registration, classification and regulation cannot be India specific,' said Capt Philip Mathews, a master mariner with thirty years experience.
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Indian Express
35 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Valmik Thapar, conservationist and chronicler of India's tigers, dies at 73
Valmik Thapar, a towering figure in Indian wildlife conservation and one of the country's most passionate advocates for the tiger, died Friday morning at his residence on Kautilya Marg in New Delhi. He was 73 and was diagnosed with cancer last year. Over nearly five decades, Thapar became synonymous with India's tiger conservation efforts. An author of over two dozen books on wildlife and conservation, Thapar has also presented several landmark wildlife documentaries, including the seminal BBC series 'Land of the Tiger' (1997). His entry into the world of conservation came in 1976, after an encounter with Fateh Singh Rathore, then director of the Ranthambhore tiger reserve in Rajasthan. Both outspoken and often contrarian, Rathore and Thapar formed an indefatigable partnership that inspired India's conservation efforts and policies over four decades. Until his last days, Thapar was involved in conservation work, notably through TigerWatch, a non-profit established by Rathode in Sawai Madhopur. Thapar served in multiple apex bodies of the government, including the National Board for Wildlife. He was also a member of the Tiger Task Force set up to prescribe reforms in the aftermath of the disappearance of tigers from Rajasthan's Sariska. He was a staunch critic of the 'lethargic government system' and had famously observed that 'bureaucracy killed more tigers than bullets ever did.' In 1987, Thapar set up Ranthambhore Foundation, a non-profit that worked for integrating local communities into conservation efforts. He also partnered with the non-profit Dastkar to create livelihoods for displaced villagers. Thapar was born in 1952 in Mumbai to Romesh and Raj Thapar, journalists and co-founders of the political journal Seminar. He is survived by his wife, Sanjana Kapoor and son, Hamir Thapar. In his book 'Tiger My Life, Ranthambhore and Beyond', Thapar, in 20212, summed up what he called his mission: 'My fight was always for inviolate spaces—where the tiger could live free, away from noise, away from humans.'
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
First batch of women cadets blaze a trail as they make history at NDA's passing out parade
1 2 3 4 5 6 Pune: The first batch of women cadets of the National Defence Academy (NDA), marching in perfect synchrony with male contingents, scripted a new chapter in the history of the Indian Armed Forces on May 30. The 17 trailblazing women cadets proudly crossed the 'Antim Pag' after going through three years of intense military and academic training, standing shoulder to shoulder at the Arun Khetarpal Parade Ground of the premier military academy on Friday morning. "This is the day we dreamed of for the last three years. We are here," said Ritul Duhan, the first Battalion Cadet Captain of the first batch of women cadets, with a beaming smile. The women cadets were part of each aspect of the parade. For the first time, they were also 'pilots' to receive the guests to the quarter deck. Like previous parades during their time at the academy, they did not have a separate contingent — instead, they marched together with the male cadets, indistinguishable with their military crew haircut and confident stride. The women cadets celebrated the moment together with a 'push-up' competition in front of the Sudan Block, where they first stepped into the academy three years ago with the dream to carve their names into the history of the Indian military. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dermatologista recomenda: simples truque elimina o fungo facilmente Acabe com o Fungo Undo The PoP was a culmination of their hard work, determination, motivation, and high standards of physical fitness. The reviewing officer, former Army Chief Gen VK Singh and Governor of Mizoram, described the moment as a unique and significant day in the history of NDA. "These young women are the inimitable symbol of 'nari shakti', embodying not just women's development but women-led development. I envision a future not far from now when one of these women rises to the highest echelon of the service they go to," he said. He added, "The moment shows the uniqueness of the NDA as we could not distinguish male and female cadets during the parade. They are meticulously and strongly trained at the academy," said Singh, who passed out from NDA in 1969. Academy Cadet Captain Udayveer Singh Negi, a President's silver medalist, commanded the parade of 1,341 cadets, including 336 passing out cadets. Negi told TOI, "The women cadets performed well. We did not consider them separate. They outshone male cadets in many aspects. For us, they are just our course mates. They are just worthy, capable, and I am sure they will do justice to their services." The hours-long rehearsals for the parade in both scorching heat and rain culminated with impressive results, said cadet Ishita Singh. "The PoP is one of the most important events in military life. I always wanted to celebrate this occasion in front of my parents and dear ones. Today, I could fulfil my wish," she told TOI. Srishti Singh, the naval cadet, also spoke of some initial difficulties at the academy as she struggled to balance training and academics. "My grades dropped in the first term, but after acquainting myself with the schedule, I picked up well," she said. Recalling the days of the 'Josh run' of 40km during night camps with male cadets, she said, "I was, in fact, supported and motivated by male cadets during the run. Their motivation pushed me to achieve my optimum. Likewise, we helped each other like 'real buddies'." Vice Admiral Gurucharan Singh, Commandant of NDA, told TOI, "They (the women cadets) have done exceptionally well and their performance in the parade was testimony to their high spirit and motivation." On the occasion, VK Singh also unveiled a special magazine titled 'Breaking Barriers', in which officers and the NDA Commandant have written about their experiences training the first batch of women cadets. At the ceremony, VK Singh presented the President's gold medal to Battalion Cadet Adjutant Prince Raj, the President's silver medal to Academy Cadet Captain Negi, and the President's bronze medal to Battalion Cadet Captain Tejas Bhatt. The prestigious Chiefs of Staff Banner was awarded to the Golf squadron for overall excellence. Seamless integration of women cadets: Commandant The academy gradually and seamlessly integrated women cadets with boys. Commandant Gurcharan Singh said that when girls first came to the academy, they were staying separately. "Today, they are integrated completely with squadrons and battalions. They are running, playing and training together. Every activity at the academy is gender neutral. It took us time, but now it is in progress." He said that before taking the step of integrating women cadets into the squadrons and assessing how their living conditions would be, he personally led a team to the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, and the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, where female cadets were in training for some years. "We drew inspiration from them, studied their models, and adapted as to how it can be implemented here at NDA," he said. Pune: The first batch of women cadets of the National Defence Academy (NDA), marching in perfect synchrony with male contingents, scripted a new chapter in the history of the Indian Armed Forces on May 30. The 17 trailblazing women cadets proudly crossed the 'Antim Pag' after going through three years of intense military and academic training, standing shoulder to shoulder at the Arun Khetarpal Parade Ground of the premier military academy on Friday morning. "This is the day we dreamed of for the last three years. We are here," said Ritul Duhan, the first Battalion Cadet Captain of the first batch of women cadets, with a beaming smile. The women cadets were part of each aspect of the parade. For the first time, they were also 'pilots' to receive the guests to the quarter deck. Like previous parades during their time at the academy, they did not have a separate contingent — instead, they marched together with the male cadets, indistinguishable with their military crew haircut and confident stride. The women cadets celebrated the moment together with a 'push-up' competition in front of the Sudan Block, where they first stepped into the academy three years ago with the dream to carve their names into the history of the Indian military. The PoP was a culmination of their hard work, determination, motivation, and high standards of physical fitness. The reviewing officer, former Army Chief Gen VK Singh and Governor of Mizoram, described the moment as a unique and significant day in the history of NDA. "These young women are the inimitable symbol of 'nari shakti', embodying not just women's development but women-led development. I envision a future not far from now when one of these women rises to the highest echelon of the service they go to," he said. He added, "The moment shows the uniqueness of the NDA as we could not distinguish male and female cadets during the parade. They are meticulously and strongly trained at the academy," said Singh, who passed out from NDA in 1969. Academy Cadet Captain Udayveer Singh Negi, a President's silver medalist, commanded the parade of 1,341 cadets, including 336 passing out cadets. Negi told TOI, "The women cadets performed well. We did not consider them separate. They outshone male cadets in many aspects. For us, they are just our course mates. They are just worthy, capable, and I am sure they will do justice to their services." The hours-long rehearsals for the parade in both scorching heat and rain culminated with impressive results, said cadet Ishita Singh. "The PoP is one of the most important events in military life. I always wanted to celebrate this occasion in front of my parents and dear ones. Today, I could fulfil my wish," she told TOI. Srishti Singh, the naval cadet, also spoke of some initial difficulties at the academy as she struggled to balance training and academics. "My grades dropped in the first term, but after acquainting myself with the schedule, I picked up well," she said. Recalling the days of the 'Josh run' of 40km during night camps with male cadets, she said, "I was, in fact, supported and motivated by male cadets during the run. Their motivation pushed me to achieve my optimum. Likewise, we helped each other like 'real buddies'." Vice Admiral Gurucharan Singh, Commandant of NDA, told TOI, "They (the women cadets) have done exceptionally well and their performance in the parade was testimony to their high spirit and motivation." On the occasion, VK Singh also unveiled a special magazine titled 'Breaking Barriers', in which officers and the NDA Commandant have written about their experiences training the first batch of women cadets. At the ceremony, VK Singh presented the President's gold medal to Battalion Cadet Adjutant Prince Raj, the President's silver medal to Academy Cadet Captain Negi, and the President's bronze medal to Battalion Cadet Captain Tejas Bhatt. The prestigious Chiefs of Staff Banner was awarded to the Golf squadron for overall excellence. Seamless integration of women cadets: Commandant The academy gradually and seamlessly integrated women cadets with boys. Commandant Gurcharan Singh said that when girls first came to the academy, they were staying separately. "Today, they are integrated completely with squadrons and battalions. They are running, playing and training together. Every activity at the academy is gender neutral. It took us time, but now it is in progress." He said that before taking the step of integrating women cadets into the squadrons and assessing how their living conditions would be, he personally led a team to the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, and the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, where female cadets were in training for some years. "We drew inspiration from them, studied their models, and adapted as to how it can be implemented here at NDA," he said.
Economic Times
9 hours ago
- Economic Times
A fillip for India's Veerangana tradition
One family factoid that my mother proudly revealed when I displayed a brief teenage fascination for tanks, fighter aircraft and warships was that her second eldest sister (in a family of five daughters and a son) served in the Women's Auxiliary Corps during World War II. My feisty aunt, who went into a totally different career eventually at All India Radio, apparently drove trucks and jeeps, one of the few roles open to women in the armed forces back was athletic in her youth, belying her tiny stature, even playing tennis-in a saree, as per the norms of the day. So when India was tapped for volunteers by its colonial ruler as the war in Europe spread around the world, she eagerly grabbed the opportunity to wear a uniform and serve. The teenage me marvelled at my aunt (already a portly radio professional by the time I came along) grabbing such an unusual opportunity as the daughter of a senior civil servant. Seeing the smiling faces of the 17 cadets of the first batch of women to graduate from India's National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla in Pune last Friday, many Indians would probably be reminded of Colonel Sophiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, the calm and steely 'faces' of the Indian armed forces during the tense days of Operation Sindoor earlier in May. But I imagined my late aunt instead; she would have been over a century old now. India has had a very long history of women in combat, although the school textbooks tend to stick to references to their roles in the British Indian Army, as well as the women-only Rani of Jhansi regiment of Indian National Army. In fact, the latter actually belied the long-held belief that women cannot (and perhaps even should not) be deployed in combat roles and would not have the strength or stamina to undergo the required training. The INA women did it all. Their grit and fighting spirit should have inspired the Indian armed forces to carry forward the legacy of the Rani of Jhansi regiment after Independence but the institution remained beholden to the British military heritage. Though women joined the medical and judicial wings, they were commissioned to some selected other arms only from the end of the 20th century. And a quarter of the 21st century has elapsed before this first batch of women graduated from now, there will be many doubts about whether Indian women have the wherewithal to serve in the fighting divisions of our armed forces in the same way as men. There are already qualifying 'expert' comments about how women will perform their roles well as soldiers today as wars have become more technical rather than physical. Less battle cries and engaging the enemy in tank, gun and one-to-one combat and more drone, missile and is a disservice to the long tradition of veeranganas-brave women-in Indian history, a part of our heritage that has been woefully under-appreciated. India is unique in terms of its consistent reverence for feminine power, Shakti. The warrior goddesses of other ancient faith systems have been forgotten and supplanted by others that do not revere women in their fierce fighter form. Yet India has held true to that belief through the vicissitudes of history. When this first batch of women NDA graduates took that 'Antim Pag' or Last Step from the precincts of their training academy into the world of soldiers defending India, they were taking the first step towards fully reasserting our ancient faith in Shakti. All women in uniform who preceded them (per force in limited roles in our armed forces so far) will not be the only ones wishing them a valorous future. My aunt and mother will be smiling too, somewhere.
