{"id":33183,"date":"2024-12-04T18:32:09","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T13:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=33183"},"modified":"2024-12-14T17:53:31","modified_gmt":"2024-12-14T12:23:31","slug":"coastal-shipping-bill-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/04-12-2024\/coastal-shipping-bill-2024","title":{"rendered":"Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Bills, GS3\/ Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently, the <strong>Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways<\/strong> introduced the <strong>Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024<\/strong> seeking to promote coastal trade and encourage the participation of Indian-flagged vessels owned and operated by Indian citizens for national security and commercial needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Background<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Coastal shipping, which involves the movement of goods and passengers along the <strong>coastlines (about 7,517 kilometers)<\/strong> within territorial waters, plays key nodes in global supply chains and is also crucial to the growth of the economy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Major ports<\/strong> are directly under the administrative control of the Central Government while <strong>minor\/intermediate ports<\/strong> are managed and administered by the respective maritime State Governments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, the sector has been regulated by outdated laws, such as the <strong>Coasting Vessel Act of 1838<\/strong> and the <strong>Merchant Shipping Act of 1958<\/strong>, which <strong>lack uniformity.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance of Coastal Shipping<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Coastal shipping is an energy-efficient and cost-effective mode of transport, particularly suited for bulk cargoes.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It helps alleviate the pressure on road and rail networks, reducing congestion and environmental impact.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Additionally, coastal shipping supports national security by providing strategic logistical support during emergencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Provisions of the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Simplified Licensing:<\/strong> One of the most notable changes is the removal of the requirement for a general trading license for Indian-flagged vessels engaged in coastal trade.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is expected to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and encourage more Indian vessels to participate in coastal shipping.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Database:<\/strong> It proposes the creation of a National Database for coastal shipping to ensure transparency and facilitate information sharing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strategic Plan: <\/strong>The Bill mandates the preparation of a National Coastal and Inland Shipping Strategic Plan to promote the development and growth of coastal shipping.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Security: <\/strong>The bill emphasizes the importance of national security by ensuring that coastal trade is primarily conducted by Indian-flagged vessels owned and operated by Indian citizens.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inland Vessels Participation: <\/strong>The bill permits inland vessels to engage in coastal trading under certain conditions, thereby expanding the scope of vessels that can participate in coastal trade.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Environmental Standards: <\/strong>The bill includes provisions to ensure compliance with environmental standards, which is crucial for sustainable development.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Penalties and Enforcement:<\/strong> It introduces penalties for non-compliance and empowers authorities like the Director-General of Shipping to enforce regulations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Job Creation:<\/strong> By focusing on Indian-flagged vessels and Indian crew, the Bill seeks to create significant employment opportunities in the maritime sector.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Implications<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024<\/strong>, is expected to significantly impact the maritime industry by promoting the use of Indian-flagged vessels, enhancing national security, and creating jobs.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also aims to modernize the regulatory framework governing coastal shipping, making it more efficient and transparent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Updates on India\u2019s Port and Maritime Sector<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/26-03-2022\/sagarmala-program\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/26-03-2022\/sagarmala-program\">Sagarmala Scheme<\/a>:<\/strong> Continues to drive enhancements in port and coastal shipping.<br>&#8211; <strong>Sagar Manthan: <\/strong>A digital platform launched to provide comprehensive data related to the Ministry and its organizations.<br>&#8211; <strong>National Waterway-4 (NW-4):<\/strong> Roll-on\/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) services are now operational, primarily transporting stone chips for construction.<br> 1. Inland water transport (IWT) is emphasized for its cost-effectiveness and lower pollution compared to road and rail transport.<br>&#8211; <strong>National Logistics Portal (Marine): <\/strong>Inaugurated as a one-stop platform to connect all stakeholders in the logistics community, improving efficiency and transparency.<br>&#8211; <strong>SAGAR-SETU Mobile App:<\/strong> Introduced to enhance the ease of doing business.<br>&#8211; <strong>Vadhavan Major Port Project:<\/strong> Approved with an investment of \u20b976,220 crore.<br>&#8211; <strong>Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047:<\/strong> Launched to develop world-class ports and promote inland water transport and coastal shipping.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Despite its potential, coastal shipping in India faces several challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, regulatory bottlenecks, and competition from other modes of transport. Addressing these challenges requires a concerted effort from both the government and the private sector.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Infrastructure Development:<\/strong> Investing in port infrastructure, including modernizing existing ports and developing new ones, is crucial for the growth of coastal shipping.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Policy Support:<\/strong> Continued policy support, including incentives for shipbuilding and maintenance, can help attract more players to the sector.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Public-Private Partnerships:<\/strong> Encouraging public-private partnerships can facilitate the development of necessary infrastructure and services, ensuring the sustainable growth of coastal shipping.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/coastal-shipping-bill-introduced-in-lok-sabha-amid-din\/article68938025.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recently, the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways introduced the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024 seeking to promote coastal trade and encourage the participation of Indian-flagged vessels owned and operated by Indian citizens for national security and commercial needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33183"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33711,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33183\/revisions\/33711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}