Parliament Clears Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025

Quick Summary

• Parliament on August 11, 2025, approved The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025 after its passage in the Rajya Sabha by voice vote.
• The Lok Sabha had earlier passed the Bill on August 6.
• Opposition members walked out of Rajya Sabha demanding a discussion on the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
• Despite protests and interruptions causing a brief adjournment, the bill was taken up and passed at approximately 3 pm.
• The Merchant Shipping Bill seeks too expand eligibility criteria for merchant vessel ownership and provides provisions for inquiry of marine casualties among other measures.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The approval of The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025 marks another step in legislative reforms concerning India’s maritime sector. By expanding eligibility criteria for ship ownership and enabling detailed inquiries into marine accidents, this bill perhaps strengthens oversight mechanisms while opening up opportunities for stakeholders in shipping operations. Though, its passage amidst political friction highlights persistent tensions between government priorities and opposition demands-specifically regarding unrelated but pressing electoral concerns like SIR in Bihar-which could have implications for national unity during legislative processes.

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