Andaman And Nicobar Islands

Andaman & Nicobar to play major role in India's economy in 10 years: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday asserted that Andaman & Nicobar Islands will become a major contributor to the country's treasury in 10 years. He also expressed optimism that in two years, India will advance to become the third-largest economy in the world from the current fourth. Shah was speaking at the inauguration and foundation stone-laying of various projects worth Rs 373 crore in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which he described as a pilgrimage site when it comes to India's independence struggle. Hinting at the International transhipment project, oil exploration trial and other developmental projects in the archipelago, the Union Home Minister said this group of islands was once considered a drain on the country's treasury. But today, under (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji's vision, I am confident that after the next 10 years, this island group will be a major contributor to the country's treasury. Not the least, India has now become the fourth-largest economy, and

CDS inaugurates upgraded runway at IAF base in Car Nicobar island

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Friday inaugurated the upgraded runway at the IAF's Car Nicobar air base in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The CDS arrived in Car Nicobar island around 11.30 am and was welcomed by Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, commander-in-chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and several other senior officials. "The CDS inaugurated the resurfaced and upgraded runway at the Indian Air Force's Car Nicobar Air Base," an official said. Located nearly 535 km from Sri Vijaya Puram, Car Nicobar in Nicobar district suffered the maximum damage during the 2004 Tsunami. "The upgraded runway will give more strength to the eastern front due to its direct strategic oversight of the Malacca Strait - a global maritime lifeline/passage for international trade and energy supplies through ships. It will give the Indian Air Force (IAF) more ability for quick air operations," the senior official said. The apron areas have been expanded for smooth aircraft ...

Amit Shah set to arrive in Andamans to chair Parl panel meeting on Jan 3

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to arrive here on Friday for a three-day visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to chair a meeting of the parliamentary consultative committee of his ministry the next day, officials said. Shah is expected to reach the airport here around 9.30 pm and will be received by Lieutenant Governor Admiral (Retd) DK Joshi and other officials. This will be Shah's second visit to Sri Vijaya Puram in less than a month, after he had come here on December 12 to attend a function commemorating the 116th anniversary of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's poem, Sagara Pran Talamala'. Shah is scheduled to chair a meeting of the parliamentary consultative committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs on crucial national issues in Wandoor in Sri Vijaya Puram on Saturday and later he will attend an event on Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Dr B R Ambedkar Institute of Technology (DBRAIT) auditorium in Dollygunj," said a senior official of the Andaman and Nicobar ...

Amit Shah to visit Andaman and Nicobar Islands on January 2: Official

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the first week of January to chair a meeting of the parliamentary consultative committee, an official said on Tuesday. Shah is likely to arrive here on January 2. He will be received by Lt Governor Admiral D K Joshi (Retd) at the airport, the official said. The Home minister will chair the Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting of the Ministry of Home Affairs on January 3, he said. "On January 3, Shah will interact with the Parliamentary Consultative Committee in Wandoor, and later he will attend an event on Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Dr B R Ambedkar Institute of Technology (DBRAIT) auditorium in Dollygunj," the official said. Shah will depart from the archipelago on January 4. The Home minister had visited Andaman and Nicobar Islands on December 12 to commemorate the 116th anniversary of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's (Veer Savarkar) iconic poem, 'Sagara Pran Talamala'. The Chief of Defence S

Amit Shah, Mohan Bhagwat to unveil statue of Veer Savarkar in Andaman today

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat are scheduled to unveil a statue of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Friday, officials said. Shah arrived here around 12.30 am, while Bhagwat reached the archipelago on Thursday evening, they said. Bhagwat and Shah are scheduled to unveil the statue of Savarkar at Beodnabad in South Andaman around 2.30 pm, the officials said. They will also be present at an event to release a song on Savarkar at BR Ambedkar Institute of Technology here around 4 pm. Savarkar was jailed in the Cellular Jail in Port Blair (now known as Sri Vijaya Puram) by the British in 1911. The Union home minister is likely to leave the islands on Friday evening. Bhagwat is scheduled to address a public gathering on Saturday under the banner of 'Virat Hindu Sammelan' at Netaji Stadium around 3.30 pm in Sri Vijaya Puram, the officials said. On Sunday, the RSS chief will attend another gathering at DBRAIT around 10 am, and depa

Amit Shah likely to visit Andaman & Nicobar Islands this week: Officials

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for a day to commemorate the 116th anniversary of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's iconic poem Sagara Pran Talamala', officials said on Tuesday. A senior official said they have received preliminary information about Shah's arrival either on December 11 or 12 at the Veer Savarkar International Airport, but the final itinerary is awaited. Police sources said that according to initial information, Shah will attend an event on December 12 in Beodnabad in South Andaman, where a statue of Savarkar will be unveiled. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat is also scheduled to attend the ceremony. In the evening, the home minister is likely to address a public gathering at the Dr B R Ambedkar Institute of Technology (DBRAIT) in Sri Vijaya Puram, where a song dedicated to Savarkar will be formally released. "He is also supposed to inaugurate a newly built forensic science laboratory in Sri Vijaya Puram

Cyclone Senyar: IMD warns Chennai, Puducherry as storm likely to intensify

The IMD says the system will keep moving north-northwest across the Bay of Bengal and Sri Lanka and is likely to strengthen into a cyclonic storm within the next 12 hours

IMD issues cyclone alert, warns of heavy rain and thunderstorms in Andaman

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to intensify from November 21, an official said on Thursday. Heavy to very heavy rainfall (07-20 cm) is very likely to occur at one or two places in Nicobar Island and heavy rainfall (07-11 cm) is also expected in Andaman Island. "Thunderstorms with gusty wind (40-50 kilometres per hour) and lightning are also very likely to occur at one or two places over Andaman and Nicobar Islands on November 24 and 25," the official said. Squally weather with surface wind speed reaching 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph is very likely over the Andaman Sea. "Sea condition is also likely to be rough. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Andaman Sea till November 23. We have issued a Local Cautionary Signal-3 at Port Blair Port," the official said. Due to the possibility of surging waves, boat owners, islanders and touris

Earthquake of magnitude 5.4 hits Andaman Sea; epicentre in high-risk zone

A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Andaman Sea at 12:06 pm on Sunday at a depth of 90 km

Andaman discovery holds potential to change India's oil and gas landscape

The catch is that this is still a find of hydrocarbon presence; whether the basin will actually yield natural gas is still unknown, and even it does, it could take a decade for commercialisation

IMD issues cyclone alert in Andaman & Nicobar Islands; heavy rains likely

Authorities have also issued local port warnings, and heavy rains are likely in the islands until October 23

Andamans witnessed 200% rise in domestic tourism post-Covid: Lt. Guv Joshi

Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lieutenant Governor Admiral D K Joshi has said tourism in the archipelago witnessed a massive surge in post-Covid years. Addressing a tourism conclave at Udaipur in Rajasthan on Tuesday, the Lt. Governor said, "I would like to highlight that there has been a post-COVID tourism resurgence in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with domestic arrivals rising nearly 200 per cent and international tourists up 157 per cent since 2022." "The Andaman and Nicobar administration is poised to set three Guinness World Records in diving to position the islands as a premier scuba diving hub in the Indian Ocean Region," he said. He added that there are plans to develop unique diving circuits around the Button Islands (North/South/Middle Andaman), Barren Island (South Asia's only active volcano), and the pristine beaches of Swaraj Dweep. The Lt. Governor informed about the core strategic initiative for Heritage Tourism Circuit encompassing National Memorial sites, which includ

Andaman CID submits 50,000 page charge sheet in ANSCBL loan scam case

The CID of Andaman and Nicobar Police has filed a 50,000-page chargesheet in the ANSCBL loan scam case and has named 100 people and firms as accused, including Congress's ex-Andaman MP Kuldeep Rai Sharma, an officer said on Sunday. The chargesheet was filed on Saturday in the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court in Port Blair. A total of eight accused, including Sharma, K Murugan, managing director, ANSCBL and K Kalaivanan, manager (loan), have been arrested in the Andaman and Nicobar State Cooperative Bank Limited (ANSCBL) loan scam. Sharma is a former chairman of ANSCBL. Speaking to PTI, Senior Superintendent of Police (CID), Jitendra Kumar Meena said, "During the course of investigation, a total of 23 shell companies were identified and busted. These entities had no genuine business operations and were created solely for fraudulently availing high-value loans and diverting public funds." "Our officers conducted more than 10 search and seizure operations at various offices, ...

Great Nicobar project will displace tribals, threaten survival: Congress

Flagging "core concerns" over the Great Nicobar Mega Infrastructure Project, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday claimed that it will disrupt and displace the tribal communities and threaten their survival and well-being which would go against all extant regulations, policies, and laws. The former environment minister said the public debate on the project continues with chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party Sonia Gandhi writing on it on September 8 in a newspaper and Union Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav responding to it four days later. "But his response did not address the core concerns being raised - The environmental impact assessment conducted was rushed, incomplete, and flawed," he said on X. The fact that further impact studies have been mandated after the project has been granted clearance shows up its limitations, he argued. It is surprising that the assessment began even before terms of reference for it were issued, Rame

The Great Nicobar Island project: Strategic importance & key concerns

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi recently flagged concerns over the ‘Great Nicobar Infrastructure Project,’ calling it a ‘planned misadventure’ and an ‘ecological disaster.’

Planned misadventure, risks tribes: Sonia Gandhi slams Nicobar project

Terming the Great Nicobar infrastructure project a "planned misadventure", Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday said it poses an existential danger to the island's indigenous tribal communities and is being insensitively pushed through, making a "mockery of all legal and deliberative processes". The collective conscience cannot, and must not, stay silent when the very survival of the Shompen and Nicobarese tribes is at stake, Gandhi said in an article published in 'The Hindu'. "Our commitment to future generations cannot permit this large-scale destruction of a most unique ecosystem. We must raise our voice against this travesty of justice and this betrayal of our national values," she said in her article titled 'The making of an ecological disaster in the Nicobar'. Hitting out at the Modi government, the former Congress president said there has been no shortage of "half-baked and ill-conceived policymaking" in the last 11 years. "The latest in this serie

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence to visit Andamans on Aug 27

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence under the chairmanship of BJP MP Radha Mohan Singh will visit Port Blair on Wednesday, an official said. The committee will review the preparedness of India's only tri-command at Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the visit, the official said on Tuesday. The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), is the only tri-services command in India, and it aims to bring greater synergy among the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Apart from Radha Mohan Singh, nine Members of Parliament Shashank Mani, Virendra Singh, Shaktisinh Gohil, Naresh Bansal, Lumba Ram, Jagannath Sarkar, Muzibulla Khan, Sanjay Singh and S Jothimani will visit the archipelago. An official said the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence will be accompanied by five officials from the Lok Sabha and one senior Defence official, including Juby Amar (Director and secretary to the delegation). During the visit, the committee will be welcomed by Lieutenant General Dinesh Singh R

Top hospitality chains eye eco-tourism resort projects in Andaman islands

Top hospitality companies, including Tata group's IHCL and Hyatt Hotels Corp, have shown interest in developing eco-tourism resorts at four locations in Andamans, including the uninhabited Aves Island, which will be opened for tourism for the first time, officials said on Saturday. The eco-tourism properties will be developed on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis at Neil Island, Aves Island, Long Island and Smith Island. Besides, the administration is also looking to redevelop the Megapode Resort in Port Blair, they said. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Ltd (ANIIDCO) on July 28 invited bids for developing the resorts on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis, they added. A virtual pre-bid meeting was held on August 14, and it was attended by officials of some of the biggest players of the sector, including The Leela, Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), Club Mahindra, Hyatt Hotels Corp, Ambuja Neotia Hospitality, Chalet Hotels,

Andaman admin to implement apartment ownership regulation soon: Official

Residents of Andaman and Nicobar Islands can now get their apartments and flats registered as the administration is in the process of finalising the apartment ownership regulation, an official said on Monday. Speaking to PTI, a senior official said, "The Andaman and Nicobar Island Apartment Ownership Regulation, 2025, aims to facilitate individual registration of flats and apartments for the benefit of residents of these islands." He informed that the administration has prepared the draft regulation in coordination with the departments concerned. "This initiative aims to regularise and streamline apartment ownership and registration processes in the Union Territory. To maintain transparency and inclusivity, we have incorporated the views and suggestions of the general public, especially from stakeholders associated with the real estate and housing sectors. A meeting was held today in this regard, and the response was good," he added. According to the existing rule, any private ...

Andaman & Nicobar plans commercial helicopter services to boost tourism

The Andaman & Nicobar administration has invited Expressions of Interest from Indian aviation operators to launch commercial helicopter services, aiming to connect 11 islands with faster travel