Indian Ports Bill, 2025 – A Landmark Reform in Maritime Governance / भारतीय बंदरगाह विधेयक, 2025 – समुद्री शासन में ऐतिहासिक सुधार
1. Background and Need for Reform For more than a century, India’s port governance was based on outdated legislations like the Indian Ports Act of 1908 and the Major Port Trusts Act of 1963 . These colonial-era laws created fragmentation in administration: major ports (run by the Centre) operated under one law, while minor ports (run by states) had a different regulatory framework. This dual system often caused overlapping jurisdictions, inefficiency, and delays in decision-making. In the age of globalization, such inefficiencies became a barrier to India’s trade competitiveness . Ships waiting at Indian ports faced long turnaround times compared to ports in Singapore, Dubai, or Rotterdam. Moreover, lack of uniformity discouraged private players from investing heavily in Indian ports. Recognizing this, the government initiated a comprehensive reform in the form of the Indian Ports Bill, 2025 . 2. Salient Features of the Bill The Indian Ports Bill, 2025 is designed to rep...