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Prime Minister has that the Shipping Ministry will be renamed to Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
About Ministry of Shipping
The Department of War Transport was formed in July, 1942, by the bifurcation of the then Department of Communications into two Departments Viz.
- Department of Posts
- Department of War Transport.
It is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to ports, shipping and waterways in the country
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways encompasses the shipping and port sectors which include shipbuilding and repair, major ports, national waterways and inland water transport
Subordinate/Attached offices under the Ministry
- Directorate General of Shipping, Mumbai
- Andaman & Lakshadweep Harbour Works, Port Blair.
- Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships, New Delhi.
Public Sector Undertakings under the Ministry
- Shipping Corporation of India, Mumbai.
- Cochin Shipyard Limited, Cochin.
- Central Inland Water Transport Corporation Limited.
- Hooghly Dock & Ports Engineers Limited.
- Kamarajar Port Limited.
- Sethusamudram Corporation Limited
Timeline of the Ministry
After the independence of India in 1947, various governments have reorganized and renamed the department.
- 1957: “Department of War Transport” was renamed as “Ministry of Transport & Communications”.
- 1966: On 25 January, under President’s order the “Department of Transport, Shipping & Tourism” was placed under “Ministry of Transport and Aviation”.
- 1967: On 13 March, the “Ministry of Transport and Aviation” was split into two as the “Ministry of Shipping and Transport” and the “Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation”.
- 1985: On 25 September, with the reorganization, the “Ministry of Transport and Shipping” became the “Department of Surface Transport under the Ministry of Transport”.
- 1986: On 22 October, the “Department of Surface Transport under Ministry of Transport” was renamed as “Ministry of Surface Transport”.
- 1999: On 15 October, “Ministry of Surface Transport” was afterwards reorganized into two as “Department of Shipping” and the “Department of Road Transport and Highways”.
- 2000: On 17 November, the “Ministry of Surface Transport” was bifurcated into two different ministries as “Ministry of Shipping” and “Ministry of Road Transport and Highways”.
- 2004: On 2 October, “Ministry of Shipping” and “Ministry of Road Transport and Highways” were again merged and renamed as “Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways”. It had two departments; “Department of Shipping” and “Department of Road transport and Highways”.
- 2020: On 8 November, “Ministry of Shipping” was renamed as “Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways”
