Particulars of Organization, Functions and Duties

A. Organization

The National Shipping Board (NSB) is a statutory advisory body constituted by the Central Government under Section 4 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. The Board provides advice to the Central Government on matters relating to shipping and maritime development.

Under Section 4 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, the Central Government constitutes the National Shipping Board consisting of:

• A Chairperson
• Such number of Members representing ship owners, seafarers, shipbuilders, ports and other maritime stakeholders as may be prescribed.

The Members of the Board are appointed by the Central Government.

The Secretariat of the National Shipping Board assists the Chairperson and Members in the discharge of their functions.

B. Functions, Duties and Powers

B1. Functions and Duties

The functions and duties of the National Shipping Board are primarily defined under Section 5 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958.

Under Section 5, the National Shipping Board shall advise the Central Government on matters relating to shipping including:

• (a) On matters relating to Indian Shipping, including the development thereof.
• (b) On such other matters arising out of this Act as the Central Government may refer to it for advice.

B2. Powers of the National Shipping Board

The role of the National Shipping Board is advisory in nature, and its recommendations assist the Central Government in formulating maritime policies and regulations.

2. Powers and Duties of Officers and Employees

The Secretary of the National Shipping Board assists the Chairperson and Members in discharging their responsibilities under the Merchant Shipping Act.

The Secretary, NSB is responsible for:

• Organizing meetings of the Board
• Preparing agenda papers and background notes
• Recording minutes of meetings
• Maintaining records and documentation
• Follow up on the Action Taken Reports of the NSB Meetings
• Coordinating with the Directorate General of Shipping, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, maritime institutions and other stakeholders.

He functions under the administrative supervision of the Chairperson of the National Shipping Board on the matters related to the Board.

The Board is given adequate Secretarial Assistance by the DG Shipping.

3. Procedure in Decision Making

The decision-making process of the National Shipping Board is guided by the provisions of the National Shipping Board Rules, 2026.

1. The Board shall normally meet once in three months and shall be convened by the Chairman of the Board.
2. The Board shall meet at such place and time as may be appointed by the Chairman of the Board.
3. Notice of not less than fifteen days from the date of posting shall be given of the time and place fixed for each meeting of the Board to every member of the Board present in India. The notice may be delivered either by hand or may be sent by registered post to the last known address of the member. Non-receipt of a notice by member of the Board duly forwarded or sent by the Secretary of the Board shall not invalidate the proceedings of any meeting of the Board.
   
   Provided that if the Chairman of the Board calls a meeting for considering any matter which in his opinion is urgent, a notice giving such reasonable time as he may consider necessary shall be deemed sufficient.
4. A list of business proposed to be transacted shall either accompany the notice or be forwarded by the Secretary to each member as soon as possible after sending out the notice.
5. A member of the Board desiring discussion of any specific item or of making a substantial proposition at any meeting of the Board shall give to the Secretary of the Board a written notice of the same at least seven days before the date fixed for the meeting. He shall also furnish sufficient data to enable proper discussion of the item.
6. Any business which is not on the list shall not be considered at the meeting except with the permission of the Chairman.
7. The Chairman of the Board shall preside at every meeting of the Board. In the absence of the Chairman, the members of the Board present shall choose one from among themselves to preside at the meeting.
8. The Chairman shall regulate the procedure at all meetings and in particular shall have full power to fix time limit for speeches, to apply the closure when in his opinion any matter has been sufficiently discussed and to adjourn the meeting.

The Board functions through meetings convened by the Chairperson.

4. Norms set by the Board for discharge of its functions

• The Board has power to regulate its own procedure.

5. Rules, Regulations, Instructions and Records

The functioning of the National Shipping Board is governed by:

1. Merchant Shipping Act, 1958
2. National Shipping Board Rules-1960
3. National Shipping Board Amendment Rules, 1991
4. National Shipping Board Rules, 2026
5. Bill of Lading Act 2025 Notification to put Act into force WEF 10-09-2025
6. MS Act 2025 Corrigenda
7. The Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 2025
8. The Coastal Shipping Act, 2025
9. The Indian Shipping Act, 2025
10. Ship Recycling Act, 2019
11. Admiralty Jurisdiction Settlement of Maritime Claim Act, 2017
12. The Multimodal Transportation of Goods Act, 1993 (Amended in 2000)
13. The Seamens Provident Fund Act, 1966
14. The Seamens Provident Fund Scheme, 1966
15. Modified procedures of Registration of Vessels under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (Amended)
16. The Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925 (Amended in 2000)
17. Indian Port Act, 1908
18. Draft Merchant Shipping Rules, 2026

The Secretariat maintains records such as:

• Meeting agenda papers
• Minutes of meetings
• Advisory recommendations
• Official correspondence

6. Categories of Documents held by the Board

The National Shipping Board maintains documents relating to:

• Meeting agenda papers
• Minutes of meetings
• Advisory recommendations
• Official correspondence

7. Arrangement for Consultation with Public

The consultation may be held during the Meetings of the National Shipping Board or in person in the office of the National Shipping Board or through E-Mail/social Media/written communication etc.

8. Statement of Boards, Councils, Committees

The National Shipping Board itself is a statutory body constituted under Section 4 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958.

It has no permanent Councils or Committees. Committees are constituted as per exigencies.

The meetings of the Board are not open to the public.

9. Directory of Chairperson, Members and Officers

The Secretariat officers assist the Board in administrative functions.

10. Monthly Remuneration

The Members are not entitled for any remuneration while terms and conditions of the Chairperson, NSB are determined by the Central Government by an order, every time a new Chairperson is appointed. Currently, an honorarium of Rs. 94,260/- is paid to the Chairperson, NSB per month after deducting the license fees of Rs. 18,240/- per month for his Government Accommodation.

11. Budget

DG Shipping is the Budget Controlling Authority for the National Shipping Board.

12. Subsidy

Nil

13. Concessions

Nil

14. Electronic Information

The details of the National Shipping Board including details of Members, Minutes of the Meetings, Speeches of the Chairperson, Sub-Group Reports-2023 etc. can be accessed from the Website of DG Shipping.

15. Citizen Facilities

Nil

16. CPIO

The CPIO details are as under:

Name: Shri Jitendra S. Jadhav
Designation: Assistant Director General
Office Address/Address of Communication: 9th Floor, Beta Building, I-Think Techno Campus, Kanjurmarg (E), Mumbai - 400042
Mob. No.: 7021998757
Mail ID: j.jadhav@gov.in

17. First Appellate Authority

The details of the First Appellate Authority are as under:

Name: Capt. Nitin Mukesh
Designation: Secretary, NSB
Office Address/Address of Communication: 9th Floor, Beta Building, I-Think Techno Campus, Kanjurmarg (E), Mumbai - 400042
Mob. No.: 9326613829
Mail ID: secretary-nsb@gov.in