"Maritime Council Becomes Statutory Body, Sets Port Reform Deadlines"
Maritime State Development Council (MSDC)
statutory consultative body coordinating Centre-state maritime policy, set up 1997
Indian Ports Act, 2025
law giving MSDC statutory status and binding rule-making powers for states
India's ports are split between Union and state control. The Centre owns 12 Major Ports. Coastal states own and run over 200 minor and intermediate ports. The two levels need to coordinate investment and policy. The Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) was first set up in 1997 as an advisory body. It is now a statutory consultative body under the Indian Ports Act, 2025. The Act was notified on 15 May 2026. This change gives the Council a legal foundation it did not have before. This is similar to the National Shipping Board. It was set up in 1958 under the Merchant Shipping Act. It gained a stronger advisory role after being reconstituted in 2025.
The Council's work is based on the Sagarmala Programme. This programme seeks port-led economic growth through cost-effective and sustainable coastal infrastructure. A newer phase, Sagarmala 2.0, aims to make India a global maritime innovation hub. It aligns with the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047 visions. Major ports have different ownership structures. Kamarajar Port is near Chennai. It is India's first major port registered as a company. Mundra Port was developed by a private operator. It is the country's largest privately owned port. The MSDC must now coordinate this mixed public-private model under one statutory structure.
The MSDC is chaired by the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Its members include ministers from coastal states. Administrators of Union Territories are members. Senior officials of State Maritime Boards are members. Chairpersons of Major Ports are members. Representatives of allied institutions also take part. These include the Inland Waterways Authority of India, the Shipping Corporation of India, the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard. The Council's mandate covers integrated maritime growth, coordinated policy formulation and planned infrastructure development.
At this meeting, the Council adopted targets under Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. Together these list more than 500 initiatives. The initiatives cover ports, shipping, inland waterways, shipbuilding and green shipping. …
Consider the following statements with reference to the Sagarmala Programme of the Government of India:
1.The Sagarmala Programme seeks to achieve port-led economic growth through cost-effective and sustainable coastal infrastructure.
2.The success of the Sagarmala Programme is reflected in significant growth in coastal and inland waterway shipping, along with improved global port rankings.
3.Sagarmala 2.0 aims to position India as a global maritime innovation hub aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047 visions.
Which of the following relationships among the above statements is/are correct?
1.Statement 2 validates the effectiveness of the strategies envisioned in statement 1.
2.Statement 3 extends the objectives of statement 1 by embedding them into a future-oriented innovation framework.
3.Statement 1 contradicts statement 3 by focusing only on traditional infrastructure instead of modern innovation.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Consider the following pairs:
Port — Well known as
1.Kamarajar Port : First major port in India registered as a company
2.Mundra Port : Largest privately owned port in India
3.Visakhapatnam Port : Largest container port in India
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
With reference to the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC), consider the following statements: 1. It was originally constituted in 1997 as an advisory body. 2. It has recently acquired the status of a statutory consultative body under the Indian Ports Act, 2025. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following pairs of ports and their distinguishing feature: 1. Kamarajar Port — First major port in India registered as a company 2. Mundra Port — Largest privately owned port in India 3. Deendayal Port — Major port handling petroleum and fertiliser cargo in the Gulf of Kuchchh. How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Consider the following statements regarding the One Nation One Port Process (ONOP): 1. It includes One Nation One Documentation and inter-ministerial process reforms. 2. All ports are required to integrate with the Maritime Single Window by March 2027. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Shipbuilding Project Credit Risk Insurance Policy (SbPCP) and the Business Credit Shield Policy–Shipbuilders (BCSPS), launched to support India's shipbuilding industry, are developed respectively by which of the following?
Under the Indian Ports Act, 2025, States and Union Territories are required to notify subordinate rules under which provision, and within what timeframe, following MSDC approval of its regulations?
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