Law on anvil for blue economy, government tells Lok Sabha
The draft national policy on blue economy, covering seven thematic areas including ocean governance and marine spatial planning, was placed in the public domain in February 2021 and revised in July 2022 after inter-ministerial and stakeholder consultations, the response said adding that the policy is aiming to harness ocean resources sustainably for economic growth while protecting marine ecosystems ensuring national security and it also provides the foundational basis for future legislation, the ministry said in response to a query, raised by MP Brijmohan Agrawal, on the major legislative steps taken by the government for Blue Economy.
The deep ocean mission is a subset of the broader blue economy concept which is focused on technological development for exploring deep ocean resources, promoting climate change advisory services, conservation of deep-sea biodiversity, research on ocean biology, and harnessing energy and freshwater from the ocean.
'The current focus is on strengthening the existing environmental legal framework through targeted reforms, including amendments to existing laws and empowering the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's umbrella legislation the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. These reforms aim to introduce specific rules to address critical challenges such as e-waste (management), plastics waste management, batteries waste management, and end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) scrapping,' said Jitendra Singh, minister of state for earth sciences. He was responding to questions by BJP MP, Brijmohan Agrawal on the 1. major legislative steps taken by the Government for the Blue Economy district from policy-based approaches such as the Deep Ocean Mission along with the draft legislation; 2. inter-ministerial consultations or projected timelines for a Blue Economy Law; 3. existing mechanism which ensures sector-specific, legally binding environmental among others.
The various sectors in the blue economy are governed by different laws which include: 1. Coastal and Marine Ecosystems governed by Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019 and Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, 2. Fisheries and Aquaculture governed by Marine Fishing Regulation Acts (State-specific); National Policy on Marine Fisheries, 2017; 3. Shipping and Ports & Security under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958; Major Port Authorities Act, 2021; International Maritime Conventions (e.g., MARPOL) (via Merchant Shipping Act); Maritime Zones Act, 1976; Recycling of Ships Act, 2019 and Island Vessels Act, 2021, 3. Oil, Gas & Deep-Sea Mining under Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948 and Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, 4. Tourism and Recreation under Environment (Protection) Act & CRZ Rules and Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and 5. Marine Biotechnology & Bioprospecting under Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
The regulatory gaps and overlaps are being addressed through the PARIVESH portal of Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change which acts as a single window for environmental, forest, wildlife, and coastal regulation zone clearances and the National Sagarmala Apex Committee and PM Gatishakti portal also aid in integrated planning, Singh said.
Further, there are dedicated laws and guidelines for investment, accountability, and liability including 100% FDI is permitted via the automatic route in sectors like sea-ports and aquaculture. Offshore mineral block auctions are open to foreign bidders with specified conditions. The Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, adopts international liability conventions and mandates compulsory insurance for pollution damage. Offshore safety is governed by the Oil Mines Regulations, 2017, and a draft Offshore Safety Directive. The 'Harit Sagar' Green Port Guidelines (2023) mandate ESG reporting for terminal operators. The Deep Ocean Mission requires Environmental and Social Due Diligence for its projects. Maritime Zones Act, 1976 along with updated rules like the Offshore Wind Energy Lease Rules, 2023, provides the legal framework for leasing and regulating offshore energy and mineral projects, the response said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
BJP Rewards Ex-Congress Ministers With Key Posts
New Delhi: Two former Congress ministers, who switched sides ahead of the Lok Sabha polls last year and won assembly elections on BJP tickets earlier this year, were rewarded and made chairpersons of two separate development boards. Raj Kumar Chauhan, who won from his traditional seat of Mangolpuri, was made the chairperson of the Delhi Village Development Board. Gandhi Nagar MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely was made the chairperson of the Trans Yamuna Development Board. Sources said the decision was taken in the cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta, earlier this week, and a gazette notification is likely to be issued soon. The other members of the boards will be nominated by govt. The cabinet decisions mentioned that the two boards will advise govt on issues related to infrastructure development in those areas. Their appointment to the boards marks their return to govt after a gap of 12 years. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Lovely was made a minister by then chief minister Sheila Dikshit in 2003. He held several important portfolios during his 10 years in office, including education, transport and revenue. Chauhan, who was brought into the cabinet by Dikshit in a reshuffle in 2001 during her first term as CM, remained a minister for 12 years and held PWD , irrigation and flood control, and revenue portfolios. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Swelling and internal bleeding in the brain, help this baby Donate For Health Donate Now Undo Both bring with them vast experience in governance, which will come in handy while working as the chairpersons of the village development board and Trans Yamuna Development Board, respectively. Lovely quit Congress in protest against the alliance with AAP in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024 and joined BJP. Chauhan left Congress after he was denied a Lok Sabha ticket in 2024. This was the second time for both Lovely and Chauhan to join BJP. The Gandhi Nagar MLA joined BJP in May 2017 but returned to Congress in Feb 2018, saying he was a "misfit" in the saffron party. Chauhan left Congress in May 2019 but returned within a few months. Both Lovely and Chauhan played significant roles in mobilising voters in favour of BJP in the Lok Sabha polls last year and the assembly elections earlier this year. While Lovely holds sway among voters in east and north-east Delhi and among the Sikhs, Chauhan is a well-known face among scheduled castes, besides being a popular politician in outer Delhi. Lovely won four consecutive assembly polls in 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013, and lost in 2015 and 2020, before getting elected again in 2025, this time on a BJP ticket. Chauhan also won four consecutive elections between 1993 and 2008. He lost the 2013 and 2015 elections and got re-elected again in 2025. Their political acumen and administrative experience are considered a major asset for BJP and Delhi govt. Sources said both were accorded the status of cabinet ministers. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
MahaRERA says both physical and virtual hearings available after HC directive on hybrid option
Pune: Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) on Saturday said it already offers both physical and virtual modes of hearing complaints, allowing parties to appear in person whenever such requests are made by them. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The statement follows a recent Bombay High Court directive asking MahaRERA to resume hybrid hearings, underlining that access to justice must include the option of physical presence. "We have been offering physical hearings as part of our regular functioning for those who opt for it. While virtual hearings are more commonly preferred, we do not deny physical hearings to anyone," a senior MahaRERA official told TOI. The court's directive came during the hearing of a petition filed by homebuyer Mayur Desai, who approached the high court seeking restoration of hybrid hearings and faster execution of orders pending since March 2024. Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale observed that "access to justice is not merely about providing virtual access but ensuring that parties also have the right to appear physically." While MahaRERA's counsel submitted that physical hearings are available upon request, the court expressed concern over the perceived emphasis on virtual-only proceedings when most courts have already resumed hybrid hearings. It also directed the authority to review its April 2025 circular and standard operating procedures concerning urgent listings, enforcement of orders, case mentions, and pronouncement of reserved orders. MahaRERA officials said the authority has been conducting in-person hearings regularly. "Over the past six months, 81 complaints were heard physically across seven sessions by the chairperson, and another 19 matters were heard twice in person. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now One matter was heard twice by the full bench," the official said. In a bid to improve efficiency and accessibility, the authority has introduced several procedural reforms. These include pronouncement of orders through pre-notified cause lists with advance intimation to parties, and attendance duly recorded. Circular No. 34(A), issued on April 8, 2025, permits out-of-turn listing of urgent matters, such as life-threatening illnesses, court-directed cases, or applications for rectification. Moreover, on MahaRERA's recommendation, the state govt appointed revenue recovery officers in six districts with high pendency through a govt order issued on April 22, 2025. MahaRERA officials said these steps are part of its broader efforts to build a transparent, efficient, and citizen-friendly grievance redressal system under Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. Over the last six months, MahaRERA had disposed of 3,002 complaints. "There is demand for physical hearings, mainly from lawyers who practice exclusively in MahaRERA. The rest of the legal fraternity generally prefers virtual hearings due to their convenience. Senior counsels from the high court now frequently appear before MahaRERA virtually, raising the quality of arguments and adjudication," said a homebuyer. Advocate Godfrey Pimenta, trustee of Watchdog Foundation and a regular participant in MahaRERA-related cases, said online hearings work well for simpler RERA matters but added that more complex matters may require physical hearings for credibility assessment. "A well-balanced hybrid model ensures dignity, efficiency, and fairness. I've argued RERA cases from Dallas and London—virtual platforms save time, reduce costs, and make document filing easier," he said. --- **BOX: MahaRERA Complaint Statistics (as of March 2025)** * **Total complaints filed: 29,222 * **Complaints disposed of: 21,520 (73.64%) * **Pending complaints:7,702 * **Non-compliance applications filed: 4,865 * **Disposed: 4,596 (94.47%) * **Pending: 269
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Govt. to table private school fee Bill in Monsoon Session: CM
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday said the Delhi government will table a Bill to regulate fee hikes by private schools during the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Assembly, beginning August 4. Amid ongoing protests by parents, the Delhi government had earlier approved a draft of the Bill and proposed bringing an Ordinance, since the Assembly was not in session. Now, it has decided to table the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025. 'The Delhi government will table the Bill to regulate fee hikes by private schools in the Monsoon Session of Assembly beginning from August 4,' Ms. Gupta said while addressing the media. The parents' groups, while pointing out issues in the Bill, said that they will send their detailed suggestions to the government on Sunday. Three-level checks A three-level verification will be implemented to regulate fee hikes, according to the Bill seen by The Hindu. First, schools will form an 11-member committee comprising the school management – a management representative and principal – three teachers, five parents from the parent-teacher association, selected by a draw of lots, and a nominee of the Directorate of Education (DoE). A District Fee Appellate Committee will hear appeals against the decisions taken by school-level committees. A similar procedure will be followed with a State-level revision committee, which will be the highest appellate authority. An aggrieved parents' group, which the Bill describes as 15% of the total strength of parents in an affected school, may appeal to the District Fee Appellate Committee within 30 days from the time the fees are approved, against the decisions of school-level committees. The Bill also specifies that if a school is found levying a fee that is not determined in the provisions of the Act, the DoE will direct the school to roll back the fee and refund the excess amount to the parents. The penalty for violators can range between ₹1 lakh and ₹10 lakh. Meanwhile, a fine of ₹50,000 will be levied on schools for harassing students over delayed payment of fees. The Bill also mentions the 10 factors that will determine the fee structure, including the location of the school, infrastructure made available, the education standardof schools, and a reasonable revenue surplus as may be prescribed. Divya Mattey, a parent of a student who studies in Delhi Public School, Dwarka, said, 'It will be difficult to get a minimum of 15% of the parent body to raise a question.' Mr. Mattey said that parents have noted that the penalties might not affect bigger schools, for whom '₹50,000 might be a small amount'. AAP, BJP at odds Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi State president Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the Bill, saying, 'Until now, even under the 1973 law, if a single parent felt that fees had been unfairly hiked, they could file a complaint with the DoE. Now, that has been scrapped. Under the new law, you'll need a minimum of 15% of parents to raise a complaint. In a school with 3,000 students, that means identifying 450 parents – a near-impossible task.' Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said, 'It would have been better if Saurabh Bharadwaj had waited until the Bill was tabled in the upcoming session before commenting on it.'
