About Merchant Shipping Act, 2025
- The Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 is the principal legislation governing merchant shipping in India.
- It repeals and replaces the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, modernising India’s legal framework for the shipping sector.
- The Act was enacted in 2025 and provides a comprehensive framework covering areas such as:
- Registration and regulation of Indian ships
- Safety of ships and navigation
- Seafarers’ welfare and working conditions
- Prevention of marine pollution
- Maritime administration
- Liability and compensation
- Regulation of shipping activities
- The Act seeks to align India’s maritime regulatory framework with international maritime conventions and standards.
I. Establishment & Legal Framework
- Act: Merchant Shipping Act, 2025.
- Replaces: Merchant Shipping Act, 1958.
- The Act extends to the whole of India and also contains provisions having application to Indian ships and persons connected with Indian ships outside India, subject to the provisions of the Act.
- It provides the statutory framework for India’s merchant shipping administration.
II. National Shipping Board under the Act
- The National Shipping Board (NSB) is a statutory advisory body under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025.
- It advises the Central Government on matters relating to:
- Indian shipping
- Development of Indian shipping
- Other matters arising under the Act that are referred to it by the Central Government.
- The NSB is therefore an advisory body, and should not be confused with the principal executive/regulatory authorities responsible for maritime administration.
III. Significance of the 2025 Act
- Replaces a legacy 1958 law with a modern legislative framework.
- Seeks to make India’s shipping regulations more consistent with contemporary international maritime standards.
- Strengthens the legal framework for ship safety, seafarer welfare and marine environmental protection.
- Supports India’s objective of developing a globally competitive Indian merchant fleet.
- Complements broader maritime initiatives such as Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
| This concept has been elaborately discussed in the following article – National Shipping Board (NSB) & Sagar Samvad. |