Navigation Bill 2020

HEADLINES:

Shipping Ministry issues draft “Aids to Navigation Bill 2020” for public consultation

WHY IN NEWS:

Legislation aims to replace over 90 year old Lighthouse Act,1927

MINISTRY? :-Ministry of Shipping

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2 : 3: Shipping : Technology : Bills : Recent Developments

LEARNING:

For PRELIMS it is important to understand the office of Directorate general of lighthouses and lightships .

For MAINS look out for modern technological interventions globally .

ISSUE:

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision for augmenting people’s participation and transparency in the governance, Ministry of Shipping has issued the draft of Aids to Navigation Bill, 2020 for suggestions from the stakeholders and general public.

NEED OF AMENDMENT

The draft bill is proposed to replace the almost nine decades old Lighthouse Act, 1927.
The bill is to incorporate the global best practices, technological developments and India’s International obligations in the field of Aids to Marine Navigation.
This initiative is part of the proactive approach adopted by the Ministry of Shipping.
The draft bill will be repealing archaic colonial laws and replacing it with modern and contemporary needs of the maritime industry.

Bill aims to regulate state-of-the-art technologies of marine navigation which was earlier used to tangle in statutory provisions of Lighthouse Act, 1927.

The draft bill provides for empowering Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) with additional power and functions such as Vessel Traffic Service, Wreck flagging, training and certification, implementation of other obligations under International Conventions, where India is a signatory.

DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF LIGHTHOUSES AND LIGHTSHIPS

MISSION

To help the mariners and local fisherman to navigate safely in the Indian waters.

ABOUT DIRECTORATE

The Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships is a subordinate office under the Ministry of Shipping.

It provides General Aids to Marine Navigation along the Indian coast.

HEADQUARTERS

The Headquarters of the Directorate is at Noida.(U.P.)
For administrative control the entire coastline has been divided into Nine Districts having their regional headquarters at Gandhidham, Jamnagar, Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Chennai, Visakhapatnam , Kolkata and Port Blair.

MOTTO

Provide safe and secure navigation in the Indian waters.

AIDS PROVIDED

For the safe voyage in Indian waters, the Directorate has provided aids to marine navigation.
They can be categorized as visual and radio Aids.

The visual aids are lighthouses, light vessels, buoys and beacons.

The radio aids are DGPS, RACONs etc.
All these aids are passive in nature and not user interactive.
The Directorate has entered into the interactive field of Aids to Navigation i.e. Vessel Traffic Service.
For the control of jurisdiction the aids to marine navigation are categorized as General Aids and Local Aids.

The upkeep and maintenance of general aids to marine navigation is the responsibility of the Directorate as per the LH Act 1927.

The upkeep and maintenance of local aids is the responsibility of various Maritime State Government organizations like Ports, State Maritime Boards etc.

IASbhai WINDUP:

Suggestions from the public and stakeholders will strengthen the provisions of the legislation. Team IASbhai requests you to provide your valuable feedback .

SUGGESTED READING : http://dgll.gov.in/Content/64_1_Introduction.aspx

DISCOVER MORE : GS-2 Articles

DONATE FOR A CAUSE

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis & Answer writing video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.