Parliament on Monday approved two Bills, the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) to grant degrees and diplomas and The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims), 2017 seeking to repeal laws such as the Admiralty Court Act, 1861, the Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act, 1890.
The FDDI, 2017 provides for establishing and declaring FDDI as an institute of 'national importance' for promotion and development of quality and excellence in education in this area. The passage of the Bill in Parliament ends uncertainty with regard to the future of students, who were not sure whether they would get a degree or a diploma after passing out from the institute. The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha by voice vote. The Government intends to upgrade the FDDI to deal with international standards and address the shortage of trained human resource in the sector. It had been passed by the lok Sabha in April.
Commerce and Industry Ministry Nirmala Sitharaman said the institute will have 12 campuses of which seven are functional in different parts of the country and they will be declared institutions of national importance.
Parliament also gave its nod to a Bill that seeks to upgrade the law related to maritime claims, arrest and detention of ships and extends jurisdiction of trial to various courts across the country.
The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bills, 2017 seeks to repeal laws such as the Admiralty Court Act, 1861, the Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act, 1890. The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote. It had been passed by the lok Sabha in March this year.
Moving the Bill for consideration and passage, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Ml Mandaviya said the maritime admiralty laws in India are old and need to be changed in line with the changes effected globally.
Highlighting the importance of maritime trade, the minister said 95 per cent of the overall exports and imports from India are through the maritime route and 33,000 ships come to the country's shores every year.
ENDS