Lok Sabha passes Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2024 amid opposition uproar over Bihar voter list issue

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2024 through a voice vote, despite vociferous protests and disruptions from the Opposition demanding a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar.

The proceedings resumed post-adjournment at 2 p.m. under the chairmanship of Sandhya Rai, but continued sloganeering from Opposition benches stalled much of the scheduled business. Undeterred, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal introduced the Bill, which aims to overhaul the country’s outdated maritime laws and align them with international standards.

The Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2024 marks a significant legislative milestone, replacing the Merchant Shipping Act of 1958 and the even older Coasting Vessels Act of 1838, both of which have long been considered inadequate for India’s modern maritime requirements.

The newly passed legislation is designed to bring India’s maritime governance in line with global conventions, including MARPOL (Marine Pollution) and the Wreck Removal Convention. It aims to enhance coastal security, modernise seafarer welfare norms, improve the regulatory framework for ship registration, and facilitate ease of doing business in the shipping sector.

Notably, the Bill lowers the Indian ownership threshold for vessels from 100% to 51%, allowing NRIs, OCIs, LLPs, and other investors to register Indian vessels while maintaining Indian majority control. It also permits temporary registration for vessels bound for recycling, addressing long-standing challenges in India’s shipbreaking industry, particularly in Alang.

The Bill significantly expands the definition of “vessels” to include a broad spectrum of crafts—ranging from non-mechanised boats to offshore platforms, drones, hydrofoils, amphibious crafts, and submersibles—that were previously outside the regulatory scope. This change brings India’s growing offshore sector, including MODUs and MOUs, under a uniform maritime framework.

The move is also a response to national security concerns, especially after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, as it empowers authorities to regulate and issue security directives to a wider array of vessel types, thereby improving coastal surveillance and maritime law enforcement.

Following the Bill’s passage, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till Thursday, with several other legislative matters left pending. The Monsoon Session continues to witness frequent adjournments amid political standoffs, primarily over the voter list revision issue in Bihar.

Despite the din, BJP MPs Brajesh Chowta (Dakshina Kannada) and Mukeshkumar Chandrakant Dalal (Surat) managed to briefly voice their support for the Bill, though their remarks were drowned out by the Opposition’s protests.

The Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2024, nonetheless, stands as a landmark effort to modernise India's maritime sector, promising increased global competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and a safer, more investor-friendly regulatory regime.