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Maritime Security
India has been re-elected to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council with the highest vote in its category at elections held at its Assembly in London for the 2025-26 biennium. India's election in Category B on Friday falls under the collection of 10 states with the largest interest in international seaborne trade, alongside Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The newly elected Council will meet for its 136th session on December 4 and will elect its Chair and Vice-Chair for the next biennium, the IMO said. India re-elected to the IMO Council securing the highest vote in Category B with 154 votes, the Indian High Commission in London announced following the vote. We thank our partners for putting their trust in India, and pledge to continue to work for the global maritime sector, the mission stated. The IMO is the premier body that oversees the world's maritime sector, which in turn underpins .
The role of Navy is not limited to the protection of the sea, but it is also a major pillar of the economic security as Indian energy requirements such as oil, natural gas depend on the security of the region to a great extent, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday. On the Pahalgam terror attack in which Indian tourists were killed, the Defence minister said the country gave an effective and precise response through 'Operation Sindoor,' a cross-border military offensive targeting terror havens in Pakistan. After commissioning two multi-mission stealth frigates, INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, here at the Eastern Naval Command, Singh said India never believes in aggressive expansionism and that the whole world knows that it never attacked any country first. However, when there is an attack on its security, India knows how to respond. "The geo-strategic situation here is such that it also has the ability to directly influence our economic development. Our energy requirements,
The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Indian Navy have completed their annual Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) that was held from July 28 to August 1. This year's exercise comprised a shore phase held at RSS Singapura-Changi Naval Base, followed by a sea phase held in the southern reaches of the South China Sea. The sea phase involved ships from both navies and aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), the Defence Ministry here said. The RSN deployed a Formidable-class frigate, RSS Supreme, and a Victory-class missile corvette, RSS Vigilance, supported by MV Mentor. The Indian Navy participated with a Shivalik-class frigate, INS Satpura. An S70B naval helicopter, two Fokker-50 maritime patrol aircraft and two F-15SG fighter aircraft from the RSAF also participated in the exercise. During the shore phase, both navies participated in joint planning, simulator training, professional exchanges and sports. At the Subject Matter Expert Exchanges,
India has presented its candidature for re-election to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council at the organisation's 134th session in London, where the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways highlighted key aspects of maritime safety and gender inclusivity. At a special India-themed reception at the IMO Headquarters on Thursday evening, Ministry Secretary T K Ramachandran and Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami announced the decision to seek re-election in Category B of the Council. The election for the 2025-26 biennium will take place at the organisation's Assembly later this year and follows India's re-election with the highest tally back in December 2023. India embraces the philosophy of One Earth, One Family, One Future, and we bring this vision to life through fostering robust and collaborative maritime efforts, said Ramachandran in his address at the reception. Under our Vision 2047, we see maritime growth as a corner of global progress, and
Police and maritime security agencies have intensified their search for a suspicious boat, "possibly a Pakistani fishing vessel", spotted near Revdanda coast in Maharashtra's Raigad district, officials said on Monday. The boat was spotted on the Indian Navy's radar on Sunday night, around two nautical miles off the Korlai coast in Revdanda, an official said. It was "possibly a Pakistani fishing vessel", but the identity and other details will be ascertained once the boat is intercepted, the official said. Prima facie, the boat was suspected to have drifted to the Raigad coast, an official earlier said. Security along the coastline in Raigad was stepped up after the vessel was spotted. Following the alert, the Raigad Police, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), Quick Response Team (QRT), the Navy and the Coast Guard personnel rushed to the spot at night and launched the search, he said. Efforts to reach the boat were hampered at night due to heavy rain and strong winds. Raig
Eighteen more countries have ratified the High Seas Treaty, a global agreement for the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity in international waters, taking the total number of ratifications to 49. Adopted in June 2023, the treaty will enter into force 120 days after at least 60 countries ratify it. The treaty is crucial to meet a globally agreed biodiversity target of protecting 30 per cent of the oceans and lands by 2030, known as "30x30". At a special High Seas Treaty event organised at the third United Nations Ocean Conference on Monday, Albania, Bahamas, Belgium, Croatia, Cote d'Ivoire, Denmark, Fiji, Malta, Mauritania, Vanuatu, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vietnam deposited their instruments of ratification. They now join the 31 countries plus the European Union that have already deposited their ratification prior to the conference. According to a statement from the High Seas Alliance, 18 more countries have signed the
The Directorate General of Shipping has increased maritime security for Indian ports, terminals, and Indian-flagged vessels to "MARSEC Level 2 or heightened security", considering the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, a senior government official said. The directive was issued on May 8, the official added. The Directorate General of Shipping functions under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), forms a crucial part of the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention. It was adopted in response to growing global concerns over maritime security, especially in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. One of the core components of the ISPS Code is the classification of security levels. These levels are designed to ensure that ships and port facilities can operate securely under varying threat environments. Security Level 2 involves maintaining of appropr