The Lok Sabha passed the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, following a brief discussion. The Bill seeks to replace the Merchant Shipping Act of 1958 with a modern legal framework to govern the registration, ownership, and safety of merchant vessels.
Aimed at aligning India’s maritime laws with international standards and evolving national interests, the legislation broadens the eligibility criteria for vessel ownership and empowers the central government to detain vessels without nationality. Under the new provisions, any vessel not legally entitled to fly a national flag—or one that has lost that right—may be classified as a stateless vessel and detained within Indian territory or coastal waters.
The Bill also outlines procedures for investigations and inquiries into marine casualties. Meanwhile, Opposition members continued their protests in the House, demanding a discussion on the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The session was adjourned for the day shortly after the Bill’s passage, amid continued slogan-shouting by Opposition MPs.
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