Merchant Shipping Act, 2025
| Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Parliament of India | |
| |
| Territorial extent | India |
| Passed | August 6, 2025 (Lok Sabha) August 11, 2025 (Rajya Sabha) |
| Legislative history | |
| Bill title | Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025 |
| Bill citation | Bill No. 183C of 2024 |
| Introduced by | Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways |
| Status: Pending | |
The Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 is an Act of the Parliament of India that replaced the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. The 2025 Act modernises India's maritime legal framework, aligns domestic law with International Maritime Organization (IMO) conventions, strengthens safety and environmental protections, improves seafarer welfare provisions, and simplifies regulatory procedures to enhance ease of doing business in the shipping sector.[1][2]
Background and timeline
Background
The Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 had become outdated and inconsistent with contemporary international shipping practice and IMO instruments. The Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 streamlines and consolidates merchant shipping law into 16 parts and 325 clauses, incorporating modern safety standards (including SOLAS), pollution controls (including MARPOL), ballast water management, and improved mechanisms for marine casualty investigation and seafarer protections.[3]
Timeline
- 10 December 2024: The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025 was introduced in Lok Sabha.[4]
- 6 August 2025: The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025 was passed by Lok Sabha.[4]
- 11 August 2025: The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025 passed by the Rajya Sabha.[5]
Provisions
Alignment with International Conventions
The Act incorporates India’s obligations under conventions of the International Maritime Organization, including the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the Ballast Water Management Convention, and the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks.
Safety and Environmental Protection
It mandates pollution prevention measures, waste reception facilities, ballast water treatment systems, emergency preparedness plans, and periodic safety audits. The Act prescribes penalties for non-compliance with safety and environmental requirements.
Seafarer Welfare
The Act updates the framework for training, certification, service conditions, welfare measures, and dispute resolution mechanisms for seafarers, in line with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) standards.
Ship Registration and Ownership
It modernises vessel registration procedures, permits ownership of Indian-flagged vessels by Indian citizens, non-resident Indians (NRIs), overseas citizens of India (OCIs), Indian companies, and statutory bodies. Early registration is allowed for vessels under bareboat charter arrangements to boost Indian tonnage.
Ease of Doing Business
The Act enables electronic registration, digital certificates and agreements, simplified documentation, electronic payments, and risk-based port state control inspections to reduce delays and enhance operational efficiency.
Marine Casualty Investigation
It strengthens investigative powers for marine accidents, wreck removal, salvage operations, and apportionment of liabilities in maritime incidents.
See also
References
- ^ "Parliament Passes Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025". Press Information Bureau. 2025-08-11. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
- ^ "Parliament approves The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025". The Economic Times. 2025-08-11. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
- ^ "Parliament Passes Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025". Press Information Bureau. 2025-08-11. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
- ^ a b "Lok Sabha passes Merchant Shipping Bill". The Economic Times. 2025-08-06. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
- ^ "Parliament approves The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025". The Economic Times. 2025-08-11. Retrieved 2025-08-12.