Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) facilitates collection, updation, and sharing of data related to crime and criminals in near real time basis. It facilitates various benefits to State/ Union Territory Police, Central Law Enforcement Agencies and citizens of India, as per details given below:
Benefits to Police and Central Law Enforcement Agencies(CLEAs):
Computerization of police processes, including filing of Complaints, FIRs, Investigation details, Chargesheet, Court disposal and appeals, Challans/Registers, etc.
Search on National/State database of crime & criminals
Enable sharing of data amongst Police, Central Law Enforcement Agencies (CLEAs), Courts, Prison, Forensic and Prosecution for effective justice delivery
The following services have been provided to citizens at National level through Digital Police Portal and Central Citizen Services Portal:
Missing Persons search
Generate Vehicle NOC
Proclaimed Offenders information
Locate Nearest Police Station
In addition, the following 9 mandated citizen services have been provided by State CCTNS Citizen Portals:
Filing of complaints to the concerned Police Station
Obtaining the status of complaints
Obtaining the copies of FIRs
Details of arrested persons/ wanted criminals
Details of missing/ kidnapped persons
Details of stolen/ recovered vehicles, arms and other properties
Submission of requests for issue/ renewal of various NOCs (Procession, Event / Performance, Protest/ Strike etc.)
Verification requests for servants, employment, passport, senior citizen registrations etc.
Portal for sharing information and enabling citizens to download required Forms
(c) As on 01.02.2025, all 17,171 Police Stations across the country are connected and using CCTNS.
This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
‘Fisheries’ is a state subject. While the governance of fisheries in the territorial waters of 12 nautical miles falls under the domain of the State Governments, fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and beyond is the subject of the Union Government. The ‘National Policy on Marine Fisheries, 2017’ (NPMF, 2017) notified by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India provides guidance for sustainable harnessing of marine resources in the country. The conservation and management measures implemented for sustainable harnessing of marine resources inter alia include 61 days of annual fishing ban, Ban on destructive fishing practices viz. paired bottom trawling or bull trawling and use of artificial and LED lights in fishing, marine protected areas (MPAs) and protection of endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species, Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in trawl nets, fishing gear and mesh-size regulations, minimum legal size (MLS) of fishes, spatial-temporal restrictions, and zonation of fishing areas by the coastal States/UTs, etc.
The Department of Fisheries, Government of India is implementing a flagship scheme “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)” with a vision of ecologically healthy, economically viable and socially inclusive fisheries sector that contributes towards economic prosperity and well-being of fishers in a sustainable and responsible manner. Under PMMSY, the activities such as sea ranching and installation of artificial reefs are supported for the first time by the Government across entire coastline of India for enhancing the fish stocks and supporting livelihood of fishers. Besides, the activities such as mariculture including seaweed cultivation, open sea cage culture, bivalve culture and ornamental fisheries are also promoted under PMMSY to reduce the fishing pressure in the nearshore waters and enhancing marine production. Advisories are also issued to coastal States/UTs from time to time for preventing juvenile fishing and promoting sustainable fishing practices.
Government schemes including PMMSY are aimed at reducing the post-harvest losses by development and modernization, strengthening of fisheries post-harvest infrastructure, value chain and marketing infrastructure including construction/ modernization and upgradation of fishing harbours/fish landing centres, setting up of markets and marketing infrastructures, providing cold-chain of transportation and storage facilities. During the last 10 years, the Government of India has approved the projects for construction/modernization of 67 Fishing Harbours and 50 Fish Landing Centres at a total cost of Rs 9,735.89 crore for safe landing and berthing of about 48,000 fishing vessels, benefitting 9 lakhs fishers and associated stakeholders. Further, the GoI has also created a dedicated fund namely ‘Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund’ (FIDF) with a corpus of Rs 7522.48 crore in 2018-19 for providing the concessional finance. GoI has also supported for improvements in the transportation & logistics network including processing facilities. This includes 27,189 fish transportation facilities, 6,916 fish retail markets, wholesale markets and fish kiosks, 11 integrated aquaparks, 1,725 fish feed mill/plants & ice plant/cold storages and 128 value added enterprise units. Three Modern and Smart Fish Markets are being developed with facilities such as IoT, e-Trading, green technology, logistic supply chain integration, etc.
DoF, GoI is taking various steps under the PMMSY towards providing financial assistance to fishers, which includes livelihood and nutritional support provided annually to ~5.94 lakh fisher families during the fishing ban and lean periods. Besides, the Group Accident Insurance Scheme cover was increased from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh benefiting 32.16 lakh fishers. The empowerment of fisheries cooperatives and entrepreneurship has been prioritized through the establishment of 2,195 Fisheries Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs). Additionally, 63 FFPOs have been integrated into the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), improving access to markets and fair pricing. Under the PMMSY, financial assistance is also provided to traditional fishers for acquisition of deep-sea fishing vessels, upgradation of existing fishing vessels for export competence, procurement of boats and nets by traditional fishers for better catch, vessel communication and support system and safety kits to ensure safety of fishermen at sea.
The Government has taken several steps to increase the fish stocks, such as implementation of uniform fishing ban during monsoon season, ban on destructive fishing methods, discouraging juvenile fishing, installation of artificial reefs, promoting sea ranching, alternate/additional livelihood to coastal communities to reduce fishing pressure etc. The potential of fishery resources are estimated in regular intervals by committee of experts to ascertain the status of fish stocks and revalidation of potential of fishery resources in the Exclusive economic Zone of India. The sustainable fisheries in the maritime zones of India is ensured by way of implementation of laws, regulations and policies at national and state levels. As per the report of Marine Fish Stock Status of India 2022, published by ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), the marine fish stocks of the Indian waters are in good health and 91.1% of the 135 fish stocks evaluated in different regions during 2022 were found sustainable.
The NPMF, 2017 inter alia recommends the use of Information Technology (IT) and Space Technology (ST) to ensure optimum use for harnessing the benefits in support of the fisher community. The DoF, GoI through its schemes and programs, has promoted use of IT and ST for various applications for the benefits of fishers such as providing real-time Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories and weather forecasts to fishers, use of Vessel Monitoring System/Automatic Identification System, safety kits to fishers for their safety. The Vessel Communication and Support System (VCSS) is provided to ensure safety of fishermen at sea. The bycatch could undermine the integrity of the marine ecosystem, therefore, DoF, GoI is providing 100% financial assistance to fishers shared between Centre and State/UTs in the ratio of 60% Central share and 40% State share without any share of fisher/beneficiary, for installation of Turtle Excluder Device (TED).
The availability of fish and fish products throughout India is ensured through promotion of sustainable and responsible fishing practices, conservation and optimum utilization of fishery resources, promotion of aquaculture and reduction in post-harvest losses. Moreover, the DoF, GoI has been implementing various schemes and programs which inter alia promotes various activities for enhancing production and productivity of fishery resources, ensuring availability of fish as an affordable source of nutrition for the growing population, especially in low-income regions.
This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri George Kurian, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 1st April, 2025.
The Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying is implementing various schemes for development of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying sectors which inter-alia include (i) Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), (ii) Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), (iii) Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), (iv) Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme, (v) Infrastructure Development Fund, (vi) Dairy Development, (vii) Rashtriya Gokul Mission, (viii) Livestock Census & ISS, (ix) National Livestock Mission and (x) Dairying through Cooperatives. During the year 2024-25, an amount of Rs. 5113.00 crore has been allocated and an amount of Rs.3459.74 crore has been spent for various activities across the country under these above schemes by 23rd March, 2025.
The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying is implementing a new Central Sector Sub-scheme namely the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY) under the ongoing Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for a period of four years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27 at an estimated outlay of ₹6000. The Component 1-B of PM-MKSSY provides onetime incentive to the aquaculture farmers against purchase of insurance with farm size upto 4 hectares of water spread area.
The ‘onetime incentive’ is provided at the rate of 40% of the cost of premium subject to the ceiling of ₹25000 per hectare of water spread area of the aquaculture farm. The maximum incentive payable to single farmer is ₹100,000 upto farm size of 4 hectares of water spread area. For intensive form of aquaculture other than farms such as cage culture, Re-circulatory Aquaculture System (RAS), bio-floc, raceways, etc. the incentive payable is 40% of premium. The maximum incentive payable is ₹1 lakh and the maximum unit size eligible is 1800 m3. The aforesaid benefit of ‘onetime incentive’ is provided for aquaculture insurance purchased for one crop only i.e. one crop cycle. Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Women beneficiaries would be provided an additional incentive @ 10% of the incentive payable for General Categories.
The Component 3 of PM-MKSSY provides financial incentive to fisheries micro and small enterprises in the form of Performance Grant for adoption of value chain efficiencies, safety and quality assurance systems in fish and fishery products against a set of measurable parameters. The quantum of Performance Grant is: (i) for microenterprise, 25% of the total investment or, ₹35 lakhs, whichever is lower, for General Category and 35% of total investment or, ₹45 lakhs, whichever is lower, for SC, ST and Women owned microenterprises. (ii) for Small enterprise, 25% of total investment or ₹75 lakhs, whichever is lower, for General Category and 35% of total investment or ₹100 lakhs, whichever is lower, for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Women owned small enterprises. (iii) for Village Level Organizations and Federations of Self Help Groups (SHGs), Fish Farmer Producer Organisation (FFPOs) and Cooperatives, 35% of total investment or ₹200 lakhs, whichever is lower.
This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri George Kurian, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 1st April, 2025.
The Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India (GoI) has taken various steps to promote ornamental fisheries in the country including North East and Southern State. Under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), 2465 unit of Ornamental fish rearing units, 207 Integrated Ornamental fish (breeding and rearing) units, 5 fresh water Ornamental Fish Brood Bank units and 144 units of Promotion of Recreational Fisheries have been approved at a total cost of Rs.230.45 crore during the last four financial years (2020-21 to 2023-24) and current financial year (2024-25).
To promote entrepreneurship, infrastructure and market expansion in the area of ornamental fisheries, the DoF, GoI has notified Madurai District of Tamil Nadu as the Ornamental fisheries cluster under PMMSY during 2024-25. The proposal of Government of Assam has also been approved for construction of an aquarium at Amingaon, Kamrup for display of indigenous variety of ornamental fish from North India. Further, To prepare the strategy and roadmap for development of ornamental fisheries resources in the country, the project proposal of ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA) approved for Strategic Planning and Database development of Ornamental Fisheries Value Chain Upgradation in India under PMMSY.
Under PMMSY, the proposal of Government of Madhya Pradesh approved at cost of Rs.2.60 crore for establishment of 11 unit of ornamental fish breeding and rearing unit. Under Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), the project proposal of Government of Tamil Nadu has been approved with total outlay of Rs.5.00 crore for establishment of a public aquarium and ornamental fish retail unit at Tirunelveli in Tirunelveli District. National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) has extended financial support to Tropical Aquaculture and farming systems, Udaipur, Rajasthan and Government of Rajasthan for organising training and skill development programme for 1000 trainees to promote ornamental fisheries in the state of Rajasthan.
ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), Bhubaneswar has reported that Indian ornamental fish industry is valued at approximately Rs.3,000 crore which includes breeding, rearing, trade of ornamental fishes, aquarium accessories, aquatic plants, and decorative items, contributing significantly to employment and entrepreneurship. As reported by ICAR-CIFA, at present, about 1,300 aquarium shops are in operation in Madhya Pradesh and 700 shops in Rajasthan.
This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri George Kurian, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 1st April, 2025.
The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has organized the Fisheries Startup Conclave on 8th March, 2025 at Hyderabad, Telangana to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the fisheries sector. During the Conclave, the ‘Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge 2.0’ was launched with the aim to encourage the startups to develop transformative solutions in the fisheries sector and to drive innovation, sustainability and efficiency by supporting Startups with seed funding and incubation. The Fisheries Startup Conclave witnessed active participation from over 50 fisheries startups, highlighting their innovations in areas such as aquaculture, fisheries technology, and value addition. Key outcomes of the conclave included the identification of potential areas for promoting innovation and sustainability, challenges and opportunities for startups regarding validation of their products & services, access to funding, market linkages, technology adoption and sustainability concerns.
Under Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge 2.0, two Startup winners will be selected for each of the five problem statements, resulting in a total of 10 Grand Winners. Each winning Startup will receive a cash prize of Rs. 10.00 lakh, amounting to Rs. 1 crore in seed funding support. Winning Startups will gain access to incubation facilities and mentorship provided by ICAR, National Fisheries Development Board, and attached offices of the Department of Fisheries, GoI. This challenge presents a unique opportunity for fisheries-focused startups to develop high-impact solutions, scale their innovations, and contribute to the growth and modernization of India’s fisheries sector. Earlier, on 13th January, 2022, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in collaboration with the Startup India under the Invest India, DPIIT, Government of India organised the Fisheries Grand Challenge 1.0, wherein,12 Startup winners were selected and awarded a cash grant of Rs 2.00 lakh each, including an incubation support and a seed grant up to Rs. 20.00 lakh (General category) and Rs. 30.00 lakh (SC/ST/Women) to 10 winners for transforming their ideas into effective pilots, which would further translate into commercialization. Further, the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has also sanctioned 39 Nos of Project Proposals with subsidy assistance of Rs. 31.22 Crores, under the Entrepreneur Model of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme.
The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Government of India is focusing on the areas in fisheries technology, aquaculture, and value addition by supporting a basket of interventions/activities along the fisheries value chain including quality fish production, expansion, diversification and intensification of aquaculture, promotion of export oriented species, infusion of technology, robust disease management and traceability, training and capacity building, creation of modern post-harvest infrastructure with seamless cold chain and processing facilities. The technology infusion and adoption has been enhanced through establishment of 52,058 reservoir cages, 22,057 RAS & Biofloc units and raceways and 1,525 sea cages approved under PMMSY with an investment of Rs. 3040.87 crore. The Department of Fisheries has collaborated with several research institutions under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and private incubators to boost the fisheries startup ecosystem.
The Department of Fisheries has supported the establishment of five fisheries business incubation centers namely LINAC-NCDC Fisheries Business Incubation Centre (LlFIC), Guwahati Biotech Park, Assam, National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai and ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Kochi to provide mentorship and training for developing business models by fisheries start-ups, cooperatives, FPOs, and SHGs.
The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Government of India has approved construction/modernization of 66 Fishing Harbors (FHs) and 50 Fish Landing Centers (FLCs) with total outlay of Rs. 9,558.91 crore that are expected to create safe landing and berthing for about 47,000 fishing vessels, benefitting 8.94 lakhs fishers and other stakeholders. 3 Smart & Integrated Fishing Harbours are being developed with global standards, technological advancements, seamless hygienic and post-harvest management etc. Under Fisheries Infrastructure and Aquaculture Development Fund (FIDF) 141 proposals have been approved with a total project cost of Rs. 5915.54 crore. This included establishment/ upgradation/maintenance of 22 Fishing harbours and 24 Fish Landing Centres at an outlay of Rs. 4,905.77 crore and Rs. 182.20 crore, respectively. 6.16 lakh stakeholders are expected to benefit, and 2.5 lakh employment opportunities will be created including 8,000 stakeholders benefiting from 33 private investment projects.
Under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) the Department of Fisheries has approved the development of post-harvest interface viz- cold storage, fish processing and Marketing infrastructure. The major post-harvest and Marketing infrastructure include; 66 fishing harbours/fish landing centres, 634 ice plants/cold storages, 21 Modern wholesale fish markets including 3 Smart Wholesale Markets, 202 retail fish markets, 6694 fish kiosks, 27118 units of fish transportation facilities, 128 value add enterprises, 5 E-platform for e-trading and e-marketing of fish and fisheries products. Further, the Department of Fisheries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) with an objective to provide a digital platform and empower all stakeholders including traditional fishermen, fish farmers producer organization, entrepreneurs from fisheries sector to buy and sell their products through e-market place. Further, PMMSY has supported 2195 fisheries cooperatives as Fish Farmers Producer Organizations (FFPOs) with project outlay of Rs. 544.85 crore to facilitate fishermen with better market linkages, improved bargaining power and sustainable value-chain for higher returns.
This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri George Kurian, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 1st April, 2025.
The Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India (GoI) has taken several initiatives to ensure sustainable fisheries practices in India’s EEZ including in the Bay of Bengal region. This includes the implementation of a uniform fishing ban for a period of 61 days, from 15th April to 14th June on the East Coast and from 1st June to 31st July on the West Coast in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to protect the breeding stock. Similar fishing bans are implemented within the territorial waters by Coastal States/Union Territories including in the Bay of Bengal region. During the fishing ban period, financial assistance is provided by the Government towards livelihood and nutritional support for socio-economically backward, active traditional fishers.
The DoF, GoI has notified the ‘National Policy on Marine Fisheries (NPMF), 2017’ towards responsible and sustainable fishing across the country including the Bay of Bengal region. The DoF, GoI has also issued orders to prohibit destructive fishing practices like bull or pair trawling and the use of artificial lights/LED lights for fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and similar prohibitions are also imposed within territorial waters by the coastal States/UTs. Further, necessary provisions are made by the State Government in their respective Marine Fishing Regulation Acts Rules (Amendments) for the installation of Turtle Excluder Devices (TED) for the protection of sea turtles. Besides, the flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) implemented by the Department inter alia envisages support towards the installation of artificial reefs along the coast, sea ranching, and mariculture including seaweed cultivation, all of which add to the sustainability. In addition, India as a member of the Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP)-IGO has been actively taking various initiatives in cooperation with other member countries for sustainable fisheries practices like the adoption of the National Plan of Action for Sharks, Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) and Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) Project.
The NPMF, 2017 inter alia emphasizes that Information Technology (IT) and Space Technology (ST) will be put to optimum use for harnessing the benefits in support of the fisher community and also recommends the use of space technologies for real-time Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories; and weather forecasts for the benefit of fishers. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Hyderabad has reported that Oceansat Satellite data from Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) are used to prepare the Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories indicating the potential fishing areas and provided to the fishermen in all States/UTs. Besides, the PMMSY inter alia envisages support towards the installation of transponders in fishing vessels, providing safety kits to traditional fishermen and motorized fishing vessels, support for Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) devices & network including the cost of installation, construction of deep sea fishing vessels aiming at exploring untapped resources and upgradation of fishing vessels for export competency. Under the PMMSY emphasis is also given to technology-driven more crop-per-drop initiatives in aquaculture like fish culture through Re-Circulatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS), biofloc aquaculture systems, cage culture in reservoirs, open sea cage culture, seaweed cultivation, bivalve cultivation including pearl farming and ornamental fisheries.
Currently there are no such projects proposed to be implemented to improve livestock health and breeding practices in member countries. However, as per the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, germplasm from indigenous breeds, Murrah buffalo and Sahiwal cattle has been shared with member countries mainly Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the form of semen doses, embryos, and live animals.
This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri George Kurian, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 1st April, 2025.
To promote National Waterways (NWs) for the efficient and cost-effective transportation of cargo including food grains and other essential commodities to remote and underserved areas, 111 National Waterways (NWs) were declared in the country vide National Waterways Act, 2016. Some of the initiatives for promoting Inland Water Transport (IWT) are as under:
A scheme for providing 35% incentive to promote the utilization of inland waterways transport sector by cargo owners and for establishing scheduled service for cargo movement on NW-1 and NW-2 and NW-16 via Indo Bangladesh Protocol has been approved by the Government.
The National Waterways (Construction of Jetties / Terminals) Regulations 2025 has been notified, allowing private companies to invest and operate Inland Waterways infrastructure by providing a clear regulatory framework to attract private sector investment for facilitating the growth of inland waterways sector.
For modal shift of cargo to waterways, more than 140 Public Sector Units have been approached to plan their movement using Inland Water Transport mode. They have been requested to outline their current status of cargo movement through the waterways and their plan for modal shift of cargo.
Fairway maintenance works (river training, maintenance dredging, channel marking and regular hydrographic surveys) are taken up in various National Waterways (NWs).
49 community jetties, 20 floating terminals, 3 Multi-Modal Terminals (MMTs) and 1 Inter-Modal Terminal (IMT) have been constructed on NW-1 (River Ganga) in addition to 5 pre-existing permanent terminals.
· 9 Permanent Inland Water Transport terminals with godowns and 2 Ro-Ro/Ro-Pax terminals have been constructed on NW-3 (West Coast Canal in Kerala).
This information was given by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
The various steps taken to upgrade and modernise the shipbuilding sectors across India and the shipbuilding are as under:
(i). Ministry has amended the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy(SBFAP) guidelines on 29.01.2025 to encourage more participation in the shipbuilding activities.
(ii). The Government, in November, 2021, has released Standard Tug Designs of five variants for use by Major Ports for procurement of tugs to be built in Indian Shipyards.
(iii). To promote indigenous shipbuilding, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on 20.09.2023 has revised the hierarchy of Right of First Refusal (RoFR) to be followed in any kind of charter of a vessel which is undertaken through a tender process. The revised hierarchy of RoFR is:
(1) Indian built, Indian flagged and Indian owned
(2) Indian built, Indian flagged and Indian IFSCA owned
(3) Foreign built, Indian flagged and Indian owned
(4) Foreign built, Indian flagged and Indian IFSCA owned
(5) Indian built, foreign flagged and foreign owned
(iv) Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways has launched the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP) which aims to reduce carbon emissions and minimize environmental impact by encouraging adoption of environmentally sustainable tugboat operations.
(v) Government has launched the Harit Nauka guidelines for inland vessels which aim to promote the adoption of greener technologies in inland waterway vessels.
(vi). Government of India vide Gazette Notification No. 112 dated April 13, 2016 has included ‘Shipyards’ in the updated Harmonized Master List of Infrastructure Sub-sectors.
(vii). In order to promote indigenous shipbuilding, Government has issued guidelines on 19.05.2016 for evaluating and awarding tenders for new shipbuilding orders floated by government departments or agencies including public sector undertakings for acquisition of any type of vessel(s) used by them for Governmental purposes or for their own use. Whenever acquisition of a vessel(s) is undertaken through tendering route, the qualified Indian Shipyards will have a “Right of First Refusal” to enable them to match the evaluated lowest price offered by the foreign shipyard which is aimed at increasing ship building activities in Indian shipyards.
Further, the Government entities dealing with ship building and ship-owning are advised to ensure local content as per the Government of India Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017. As per this Order, procurement of ships of less than ₹200 crores is required to be from Indian shipyards.
(viii) Government of India, in the budget speech, 2025, has made following announcements:
The Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy will be revamped to address cost disadvantages. This will also include Credit Notes for shipbreaking in Indian yards to promote the circular economy.
· Large ships above a specified size will be included in the infrastructure harmonized master list (HML).
· Shipbuilding Clusters will be facilitated to increase the range, categories and capacity of ships. This will include additional infrastructure facilities, skilling and technology to develop the entire ecosystem.
· For long-term financing for the maritime industry, a Maritime Development Fund with a corpus of Rs. 25,000 crores will be set up. This will be for distributed support and promoting competition. This will have up to 49 per cent contribution by the Government, and the balance will be mobilized from ports and private sector.
· To continue the exemption of Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on raw materials, components, consumables or parts for the manufacture of ships for another ten years.
Cochin Shipyard Limited, a PSU under the administrative control of MoPSW, has signed important active Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with international parties and the details of which are as given below:
Fincantieri, Italy:On October 27, 2020, CSL signed an MoU with Fincantieri, Italy, to collaborate on design, shipbuilding, ship repair, and marine equipment manufacturing, as well as training and skill development.
IHC Holland BV:On November 26, 2020, CSL signed an MoU with Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) and IHC Holland BV to facilitate the construction of IHC-designed Trailing
Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHDs) for DCI in India.
Robert Allan Limited, Canada:CSL entered into an MoU with Robert Allan Limited, Canada, on February 26, 2021, for design and consultancy services related to tugs, inland vessels, harbor crafts, and specialized vessels.
SeatriumLeTourneau:CSL signed an MoU with Seatrium LeTourneau, a division of Seatrium Offshore Technology (SOT), on November 20, 2024 for the development and execution of Jack-Up Rig projects in India under the ‘Make in India’.
Shipbuilding financial assistance policy with a financial outlay of 4000 crore was amended in August 2023, to include flat 30% Financial Assistance for vessels where main propulsion is achieved by means of green fuels such as Methanol/ Ammonia / Hydrogen fuel cells etc. This amendment also included ‘flat 20% Financial Assistance for vessels fitted with fully electric or hybrid propulsion. Under this scheme, 78.23 crore has been disbursed towards construction and delivery of hybrid vessels, till date.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
Sagarmala programme is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to promote port-led development in the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes. The projects under Sagarmala Programme are categorized into five pillars – port modernization, port connectivity, port-led industrialization, coastal community development and coastal shipping & inland water transport. These projects are implemented by Central Ministries, lWAl, Indian Railways, State Government and Major Ports etc. There are 839 projects worth investment of Rs. 5.79 Lakh crores for implementation under the Sagarmala Programme, out of which, 272 projects worth ~Rs. 1.41 lakh crores have been completed. Under Modernisation pillar, 103 completed project have resulted into port capacity addition for more than 528 million tonnes per annum.
Coastal Community Development is a dedicated pillar of the Sagarmala Programme. This pillar focuses on improving the living standards of the coastal communities by enhancing their livelihood opportunities, primarily through skill development, capacity building, and increasing access to sustainable economic activities. Under the Sagarmala Programme, a comprehensive skill gap study was conducted across 21 coastal districts in 9 states and 3 Union Territories, including Odisha and Tamil Nadu. Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and MoPSW have entered a MoU during May 2017 to enable skilling of coastal population under DDU-GKY Sagarmala Convergence Programme. Phase I of this convergence was implemented on pilot basis between 2016-2018 in 5 States viz. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. 2079 candidates have been trained out of whom 1243 have been placed.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
Six port clusters out of which four port clusters, namely, Cochin – Vizhinjam Port cluster, Galathea South Bay Port, Chennai – Kamarajar – Cuddalore Port cluster, Paradip and other Non-Major Ports cluster with capacity of more than 300 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) and two port clusters, namely, Deendayal and Tuna Tekra Port cluster, Jawaharlal Nehru – Vadhavan Port cluster with capacity of more than 500 MTPA are to be developed as Mega Ports by the year 2047.The activities to be undertaken by Major Ports for augmentation of capacity and improving infrastructure are included in the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision, 2047. The works for infrastructure enhancement and capacity augmentation in the Major Ports are already under progress through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode and also through internal resources.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.