Tag: India

There is a need for a combined effort by the United Nations India on Monday called for international efforts under the United Nations to tackle sea piracy, saying it may "not be easy" to help fight the menace otherwise."Unless there is a combined effort by the United Nations, it will not be easy to defeat this threat of piracy. Though all the major navies of the world including those of the U.S., UK, France, China and Russia are involved, without such an international effort, it will be difficult to tackle the issue," Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony told media.The minister said after being pressured by the international forces, Somali pirates are moving towards India."In the last 12 months, there have been more than a dozen attempts by the pirates mostly around the Lakshadweep area after which the Navy and the Coast guard have strengthened their presence and increased surveillance there," he said.Source: Xinhua

Urbanization in China and India may move about 500 million people in 20 years Albanian Minerals President and CEO Sahit Muja said "The unprecedented urbanization in China and India will double the population of cities in 20 years"."China and India may move about 500 million people in urban areas in 20 years, this will be the larges migration in world's history".Mr Sahit Muja said "Boosting demand for housing and commercial real estate is threaten India's and China's food security.China and India is reducing the area available for growing crops and grazing animals needed to feed the world's most populous countries".Albanian Minerals President and CEO Sahit Muja said "Demand for food and water is expected to increase dramatically in China and India.Demand for crude oil, natural gas , gold, copper, aluminum, nickel, lead, ferrochrome, steel, iron ore, chrome ore, aluminum and other metal and natural resources is likely to go up 500% in 20 years".China and India spends billions of dollars developing new cities, power plants, roads, high-speed rail networks and airports to accommodate the masses move.China has move more than 300 million people into urban areas in the past three decades .India has move more than 200 million people in ...

The process is going on In view of the piracy attempts on merchant vessels, the Directorate-General of Shipping will soon issue a notification allowing armed security guards on board Indian merchant vessels."The process is going on. The draft notification will be issued in 3-4 weeks," Director-General of Shipping S.B. Agnihotri said here on Saturday. He was addressing a meeting to mark the first year celebrations of the 'Day of Seafarer'. It will be celebrated on June 25 every year.Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral NirmalVerma said: "A policy for deploying armed security guards on Indian flagged ships is being examined by the government."Union Minister for Shipping G.K. Vasan, who was the chief guest, announced welfare initiatives for seafarers. "It is proposed to start a contributory scheme by the SPFO so that seafarers are assured of a monthly income."Biometric identity cards would be issued to all seafarers. "The Ministry is also thinking of increasing the amount of monthly ex-gratia monetary scheme . We will extend it to all categories," Mr. Vasan said. "We are also considering giving income tax exemption to seafarers. It is under consideration with the Finance Ministry."The Minister said a grievance redress day would be held every six ...

The two countries have a history of border disputes This month, NPR is examining the many ways China is expanding its reach in the world - through investments, infrastructure, military power and more.As China flexes its economic and military muscle, it's bumping elbows with Asia's other big and fast-growing power: India.China's hunger for energy from the Middle East and resources from Africa brings it into the Indian Ocean. And some defense analysts in India are watching uneasily as China develops commercial ports in some of India's neighbor countries.To understand India's concerns about China, it helps to remember that the two countries have a history of border disputes, and that they fought a brief but ferocious war over territory in 1962.Indian Concerns Over 'String Of Pearls'Long-time members of India's military establishment spend a lot of time thinking about China's new military, and its strategic aims.Arun Kumar Singh, a retired Indian vice admiral, habitually refers to China's military as "he.""He wants to keep us in a state of imbalance, because he wants us to be boxed up in South Asia, though we are the second-largest and possibly the largest, or the fastest-growing economy in the world today," Singh says.As a navy man, ...

For developing shipping in Kerala A draft report on a strategy for developing coastal shipping in Kerala has suggested that the State government, through the Maritime State Development Council, appeal to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to direct banks to provide finance at concessional rates to coastal shipping companies for a limited period.The draft of the study, prepared by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Private Limited, said that shipping required heavy investments and opened up higher risks as a result of which banks were averse to financing shipping companies.The study highlighted that there had been a long-standing demand for a dedicated coastal shipping fund, arranging corpus for which was a big challenge.The State government should incorporate this in its agenda and try for financial assistance from the Union government.The study suggested the setting up of a State-level specialised financial institution on the lines of IL&FS or IDFC to finance maritime sector.The Union government had not conceded a demand to remove duty on bunker used by vessels on coastal service, the study said. It pointed out that Kerala had cut value added tax (VAT) rate from 12.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent for bunker supplied to foreign vessels at the liquid ...

Disturbance of eco systems because of the growing maritime traffic A group of Indian scientists may have found the solution to an issue of global concern: disturbance of eco systems because of the growing maritime traffic across the world.The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) had been perennially concerned over the transportation of marine species between different parts of the world because of discharge of ballast water from ocean-going ships.Over the years, it had been taking several measures to address the issue. But, so far, none of them had been totally effective. Incidences of invasion of alien species in coastal water due to ballast water discharge continue.In the new development that promises to be of far-reaching significance, the scientists have got a patent from the United States Patent Office for a treatment technology for the ballast water that is not only highly effective, but is also all more eco-friendly as it does not use any chemicals.A.C. Anil, Scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research's Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), who developed the technology in collaboration with his colleagues at the Pune-based National Chemical Laboratory and University of Bombay's Institute of Chemical Technology, said the technology is based on the ...

Eight Indian crew members released Indias largest shipowner has applauded the Indian Navys approach to combating piracy, following the return to Mumbai of eight Indian crew members from the released bulker.We are very grateful to them and wish that other navies would adopt the same tactics, he said. It is believed that the pirates kept the other seven crew members because they are Indian, as revenge or some such other, but there has been absolutely no official communication from the pirates that this is the case and that assertion thus remains nothing other than pure conjecture."

The joint war committee expanded large parts of northern Indian Ocean as a conflict zone Global insurer Lloyds of London has spurned Indias demand to reverse a recent labelling of almost all of the countrys west coast as prone to pirate attacks.In December, the joint war committee, a global body that assesses marine insurance risks, expanded large parts of northern Indian Ocean as a conflict zonethe eastern border of which extends to the west coast of Indiaciting increased instances of sea hijacking in the region.This has raised insurance costs of cargo reaching or leaving Indias western ports.The committee comprises underwriters from the Lloyds Market Association (LMA) and the International Underwriting Association (IUA).It is generally understood that piracy (in the region) remains a threatinsurers therefore have to act accordingly, Neil Roberts, senior executiveunderwriting, Lloyds Market Association, said in an emailed reply.India has been lobbying Lloyds and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the global maritime regulator, to overturn the expansion of the areas considered prone to pirate attacks, claiming the decision has triggered a 300% jump in ship insurance costs. This, in turn, has raised transaction costs of commodities shipped into India.Indias government and shipping companies informed the joint war committee in ...

It contains toxic materials and poisonous residues Toxic-laden and decommissioned Korean-built ship Gulf Safwa was impounded by the Guajarat Maritime Board on Thursday near Bhavnager while sneakily heading to the Alang ship-breaking yard in India.An official of the Pollution Control Board for Gujarat told the Khaleej Times that customers officers would conduct an examination of the 14,584-tonne bulk carrier, as well as an inspection by Delhi bosses.They confirmed that the Gulf Safwa does contain toxic materials and poisonous residues, and can be housing asbestos, PCBs, toxic paints, fuel and chemical residues, etc. according to reports.The impounding of the vessel was in response of a letter to Ministries of Environment & Forests from the Toxic Watch Alliance last Wednesday alerting of a hazardous vessel in Indian waters. The vessel, however, in question of the letter is called the Gulf Jash.The Gujarat Maritime Board has said that they have not received any communication from the Jash. Officials are still not certain whether the Safwa could possibly be the ship mentioned in the letter.The seized Gulf Safwa is believed to have been purchased by the Alangs Tagif Ship Breaking Company. The ship breakers of Alang responded by saying that this is another false ...

Containers between India and the Middle East region Maersk Line announced a piracy risk surcharge on containers shipped between India and the Middle East region.Effective June 1, the surcharge is $70 per 40-foot equivalent unit.As a result of the increased piracy activity, and in light of our continuous efforts to prevent piracy attacks and to protect our crew and cargo in the intra-Gulf region, we will introduce an emergency risk surcharge to mitigate the expenses incurred on securing and maintaining reliable and safe services, the Danish carrier said in a trade notice Wednesday.The intra-Gulf region primarily includes ports in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.Source: Journal of Commerce