Latest news with #MerchantShippingActof1958
The Hindu
07-08-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Rajya Sabha passes Coastal Shipping Bill amid disruptions
The Rajya Sabha passed the Coastal Shipping Bill on Thursday (August 7, 2025) amid protests by Opposition members who were demanding a discussion on the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill during the Budget Session. Moving the Bill, Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the legislation will reduce the compliance burden for Indian ships and will unlock the full potential of country's coastline. He said the Bill is also in tune with the concept of ease of doing business and ensures supply chain security for the country. 'It will unlock the full potential of India's coastline... To support the goal of growing India's coastal cargo share to 230 million tonne by 2030 we need a framework that minimises regulations while maximising facilitation of growth opportunity in coastal tracks,' Mr. Sonowal said. He said the Bill replaces the Merchant Shipping Act of 1958 and provides a holistic, forward looking and progressive framework suited to today's commercial realities in line with globally prevalent practices. About eight members participated in the brief debate on the Bill during the ruckus and Vice-Chairman Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was on the Chair, put the Bill to vote amid disruptions. Meanwhile, in the morning, the session of Rajya Sabha was shut down within minutes following protests from the Opposition demanding a debate on SIR. The Opposition parties had moved 25 notices asking for debate on various issues including the SIR. The Deputy Chairman rejected all the notices, leading to an uproar. Mr. Harivansh pointed out that 51 hours and 30 minutes have been lost to disturbances so far during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament. He urged the protesting members to let the House function so that MPs could raise their issues through Zero Hour mentions. However, the Opposition did not relent, leading to adjournment of the proceedings till 2 pm.
Time of India
06-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Shipping Bill passed in Lok Sabha amid SIR protests
Even as the Opposition protest against the SIR issue again hit the work of Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the government managed to pass the Merchant Shipping Bill 2024 after a brief discussion in the second half. The Bill seeks to expand the eligibility criteria for ownership of merchant shipping vessels, provides for contemporaneous, futuristic and dynamic legislation to meet the requirements of India as an emerging economy and provides for investigation and enquiries on marine casualties. When the House reassembled at 2 pm after a forced adjournment at 11 am, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal formally moved the Bill, which seeks to overhaul the Merchant Shipping Act of 1958 and align India's maritime laws with international conventions such as MARPOL and the Wreck Removal Conventions. The proceedings, with Sandhya Rai in the chair, quickly descended into chaos as Opposition MPs raised slogans and created a ruckus, stalling the rest of the business of the day. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Earlier in the morning, the Opposition resumed its protest as soon as the House met and the Speaker djourned the House till 2 pm. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Simple Morning Habit for a Flatter Belly After 50! Lulutox Undo Later as a counter to the government argument against the House discussing the issues involving the ECI, Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi said, "Parliament has a long history of discussing electoral reforms and the functioning of the Election Commission". He referred to Rajya Sabha in 1961 debating amendments to the conduct of elections rules and again debating the urgent need to amend existing election laws, about then LoP Ghulam Nabi Azad in 2015 moving a calling attention motion on proxy and e-postal voting for NRIs and in 2019, a short duration discussion on electoral reforms. "There is ample precedent. The government must not delay the long overdue and essential discussion on electoral reforms. Let us discuss electoral reforms in Parliament", Gogoi said. Live Events
Mint
06-08-2025
- Business
- Mint
Rajya Sabha passes Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025
Parliament on Wednesday passed the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025, replacing a century-old colonial-era law with updated legislation designed to promote ease of doing business and make India's shipping sector future-ready. The bill repeals the century-old Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925. The new legislation is part of the government's effort to modernize India's legal framework by eliminating outdated colonial-era laws and aligning with global best practices to improve the ease of doing business. The bill adopts the Hague-Visby Rules, a globally accepted maritime standard also followed by countries like the UK. By replacing complexity with clarity, the legislation is expected to simplify maritime trade laws, reduce litigation risks, and enhance transparency and commercial efficiency in cargo movement by sea. 'Parliament passed two important legislations—the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, and the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025—effectively endorsing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to modernize India's maritime sector, both policy-wise and action-wise. Today, with the passage of the bills, the Modi government's push for India's modern shipping gets double endorsement from the Parliament,' said Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways. The Lok Sabha earlier passed the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024—a progressive, future-ready legislation that replaces the outdated Merchant Shipping Act of 1958. The bill marks a significant step towards aligning India's maritime legal framework with global standards and strengthening the country's position as a trusted maritime trade hub. The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025, was introduced in the upper house by Shantanu Thakur, the Union minister of state for ports, shipping and waterways. 'The repeal of this pre-Constitution era legislation and its replacement with a new legislation is a part of the greater initiative of this government to rid ourselves of all vestiges of colonial mindset and to ensure ease of understanding and ease of doing business through simple and rationalized laws," said Thakur. "This bill is not merely a statutory reform—it reflects a broader philosophy of governance led by our prime minister to replace complexity with clarity, outdated norms with modern standards, and colonial remnants with forward-looking laws that serve the interests of a resurgent India,' he added. The bill is a key step in making India's maritime trade laws future-ready and compatible with international trade agreements, including the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the UK. The legislation was passed by the Lok Sabha on 28 March. During the Rajya Sabha discussion, members raised issues including maritime security and smuggling risks, which the government assured were being addressed through statutory and operational safeguards. The bill received broad bipartisan support in both Houses of Parliament.
Mint
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Lok Sabha passes Merchant Shipping Bill to comply with global maritime accords, develop Indian shipping
The Lok Sabha passed the Merchant Shipping Bill on Wednesday, paving the way for compliance with India's obligations under maritime treaties and international instruments and ensure the development of the shipping industry. The bill was passed after a brief discussion as opposition parties continued with protests seeking a discussion on poll roll revision in Bihar. As soon as the bill was passed, the house proceedings were adjourned for the day. The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2024, proposes to replace the Merchant Shipping Act of 1958, which presently governs merchant shipping in India and implements certain International Maritime Organization (IMO) conventions. However, the act became outdated because it does not provide for critical obligations under international conventions that India has adopted. The bill empowers the central government to take charge of and detain vessels within India or its coastal waters if they are not legally entitled to fly the flag of a state or have lost this right. The legislation expands the definition of vessels to include mobile offshore drilling units, submersibles and non-displacement craft. It introduces provisions for temporary registration of vessels destined for recycling – aimed at promoting shipbreaking activities at hubs like Alang. The bill represents a decisive step towards positioning India as a global leader in maritime trade and governance, the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways said in a statement. It is a progressive, advanced and modern legislation, up to date with international maritime conventions and includes incorporations from global best practices of leading maritime nations. With 325 clauses under 16 parts, the bill seeks to ensure comprehensive adoption of India's obligations under other major international conventions, reduce the compliance burden for all stakeholders and increase tonnage under the Indian flag. It intends to prevent marine pollution and protect India's coastline and related interests, provide for maritime liabilities and compensation and promote accountability and transparency in investigation and enforcement procedures, minister for ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananada Sonowal said while introducing the bill in the lower house. '...these reforms in the statutory framework will enable expeditious removal of wrecks and effective salvage operations as and when required. The new framework will also protect the marine environment by ensuring that response to any marine incident is always focused on safety and marine environmental concerns,' Sonowal said in parliament.
Economic Times
06-08-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Lok Sabha passes Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill
Synopsis The Lok Sabha passed the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, amidst opposition protests, aiming to modernize maritime legislation and address India's evolving economic needs. This bill broadens vessel ownership eligibility and grants the government authority to detain stateless vessels within Indian waters. It repeals the Merchant Shipping Act of 1958, introducing contemporary provisions for marine casualty investigations. IANS In a stormy session of the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the House passed the Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2024, through a voice vote, despite sustained protests and disruptions from Opposition members demanding a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar. A bill to expand the eligibility criteria for ownership of merchant shipping vessels and provide for investigation and enquiries on marine casualties was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday after a brief discussion as opposition continued with its protests seeking discussion on poll roll revision in soon as the Bill was passed, the House proceedings were adjourned for the day amid noisy protests by Opposition members. The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024 empowers the central government to take charge and detain vessels within India or in coastal waters as a vessel without nationality, if such vessel is not legally entitled to fly the flag of a state or has lost such a right. The bill seeks to repeal the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 and provides for contemporaneous, futuristic and dynamic legislation to meet the requirements of India as an emerging economy.
