India celebrates the National Maritime Day on April 5th annually, to mark the first-ever voyage of an Indian commercial vessel – SS Loyalty from Mumbai to London in 1919. This significant event is organized by the Directorate General of Shipping and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
Theme 2022: Propelling Indian Maritime to Net Zero
This year’s theme proposed a determined push towards ‘Net Zero’ in India’s maritime sector. The event concluded with an illustrious ceremony at the Domestic Cruise Terminus located in Mumbai Port Trust. The key focus was the necessity for a well-orchestrated collaborative strategy to achieve the net-zero target across the maritime industry.
Acknowledging the Seafarer’s Contribution
The Government highlighted and appreciated the crucial role of seafarers during the pandemic. They also underlined the commitment to promote ‘Ease of Doing Business’ to lessen logistics costs and facilitate shipping, putting India forward as a dominant player in the maritime sector.
Maritime Vision 2030
The importance of global academic partnerships with maritime universities and the reinforcement of skills within Indian maritime institutes was emphasized. This step is crucial to achieve the goals outlined in Maritime Vision 2030. Contributors to the growth of the Indian maritime industry were recognized with Sagar Samman Awards.
GI Tag Recognition for Ladakh’s Wood Carving & Banarasi Paan
The Geographical Indication (GI) Registry in Chennai, responsible for registering products under the GI Act, has accorded the registration to Ladakh’s wood carving and Banarasi Paan. These registration tags affirm the uniqueness of these products helping prevent imitation or unauthorized sales from other regions.
500GW Non-Fossil Fuel Capacity Target By 2030
The Indian government plans to invite bids for 50GW of renewable energy capacity annually for five years starting from the financial year 2023-24. The target is to achieve a 500 GW installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, including nuclear, by 2030. This move aligns with the Prime Minister’s announcement at COP26, signaling a significant step towards a faster energy transition.
Renewable Energy Implementation Agencies
The targeted bid capacity for fiscal year 2023-24 will be apportioned among four Renewable Energy Implementing Agencies (REIAs): Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd., NTPC Ltd., NHPC Ltd., and SJVN Ltd.
Ice Memory: Preserving Ice Cores for Future Generations
A team of Arctic scientists from Italy, France, and Norway aims to extract samples of ancient ice before they vanish due to climate change. The scientists are to drill ice tubes containing three-century-old frozen geochemical traces. While one set of these ice cores will be analyzed immediately, another set will be sent to an “”ice memory sanctuary”” in Antarctica for future research. This preservation of ice records provides valuable data about historical environmental conditions. As human-induced carbon emissions have heated the globe by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the 19th century, the Arctic is warming two to four times faster, making this extraction a race against time.