Mumbai: Merchant Day Week is inaugurated by the Maharashtra Governor. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari inaugurated the Merchant Navy Week for the State of Maharashtra at Raj Bhavan Mumbai on Thursday (31 Mar). Director General of Shipping Amitabh Kumar pinned the miniature flag of maritime day on the jacket of the Governor to mark the inauguration.
Speaking on the occasion the Governor said youth of the country are excited to join the Merchant Navy. In this connection he called for efforts to create awareness about the opportunities available in the maritime sector for the youth through schools and colleges.
There is a great curiosity among the youth about employment and training opportunities in the Merchant Navy sector. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari expressed the expectation that proper guidance should be given to the students from schools and colleges so that they should know more about this field.
He was speaking at the inauguration of Merchant Navy Week, a statewide celebration organized by the National Shipping Day Committee, at Raj Bhavan on Thursday (Dec. 31) in the presence of Governor Koshyari.
India has a long history of merchant shipping and many ancient texts from the story of Satya Narayan mention India’s maritime trade. The Governor said that the contribution of maritime transport in the country’s economy is huge and hoped that the country’s economy would be revived through this sector.
Stating that the commercial shipping sector should be more people oriented and youth oriented, the Governor said that safety of workers and officials in the shipping sector should be given priority.
Mahatma Gandhi had often traveled abroad by ship. The Governor congratulated the Shipping Corporation for bringing to light for the first time the details of all these voyages as well as the names of the ships they had sailed.
Efforts are being made to attract more women to the shipping sector and Rs. Director General of Shipping Amitabh Kumar informed that the scholarship will be given. Special efforts are being made in the shipping sector to facilitate trade (Ease of Doing Business) and efforts are being made to provide all shipping services online by the end of the year, he said. He said the Indian shipping sector was working to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions as per the call made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Global Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.
The National Maritime Day is observed on 5th April every year. It was on 5th April 1919 that the first Indian Steamship S S Loyalty of Scindia Steam Navigation Co Mumbai set off on her maiden voyage from Mumbai to London. A week preceding the National Maritime Day is celebrated as Merchant Navy Week.
Additional DG Shipping Kumar Sanjay Bariar, Chief Surveyor S. Barik, Nautical Advisor Capt K. P. Jayakumar, Dy. Director General of Shipping Dr Pandurang K. Raut, Chairman of National Maritime Day Celebrations Committee Atul Ubale, President of Indian National Shipowners’ Association INSA Dr. (Mrs.) Sujata Naik, Capt. Sankalp Shukla, Capt. Mahendra Pal Bhasin, Abdul Gani Serang and others were present on the occasion.
