As the Winter Session Parliament begins on Monday, three shipping bills are among the several bills to be listed for passage. These are: Merchant Shipping Bill, Coastal Shipping Bill, and the Indian Ports Bill.
The Merchant Shipping Bill, a new draft law planned by the Centre, seeks to ensure compliance with India's obligation under the international maritime treaty to which New Delhi is a signatory. The bill is designed to modernise the regulatory framework governing merchant shipping in the country, promote growth and enhanceing compliance with international standards.
The Coastal Shipping Bill is aimed at removing the need to acquire a general trading license for Indian-flagged vessels engaged in coastal trade. With this, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is aiming to do away with licensing norms in coastal shipping and revitalise the shipping sector by streamlining operations and aligning the sector with global standards. It also seeks to integrate coastal maritime transport with inland waterways.
The Coastal Shipping Bill is expected to benefit ship owners and shipyards in India, non-vessel operating common carriers and cargo owners, beside seafarers.
The third bill to be listed for introduction is the Indian Ports Bill. It seeks to modernise and replace the outdated Indian Ports Act of 1908. The proposed objectives of the bill include promoting integrated planning between states inter-se and Centre-States through a purely consultative and recommendatory framework; ensuring prevention of pollution measures for all ports in India while incorporating India’s obligations under international treaties; addressing the lacunae in the dispute resolution framework required for burgeoning ports sector; and ushering-in transparency and cooperation in development and other aspects through use of data.