The Marine Aids to Navigation Act, 2021.

(1) This Act may be called the Marine Aids toNavigation Act, 2021. (2) It extends to the whole of India including the maritime zones of India as specified in the TerritorialWaters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976 (80 of 1976). (3) It shall come into force on such date1 as the Central Government may, by notification in the OfficialGazette, appoint; and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act and anyreference in any such provision to the commencement of this Act shall be construed as a reference to thecoming into force of that provision.

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, (a) “accredited training organisation” means any organisation which is accredited by the CentralGovernment under section 20 ; (b) “aid to navigation” means a device, system or service, external to vessels, designed andoperated to enhance safe and efficient navigation of individual vessels and vessel traffic, but shall notbe construed to include a reference to vessel traffic services, unless otherwise specified; (c) “Director General” means the Director General of Aids to Navigation appointed undersection 4; (d) “district” means an area demarcated as a district for the purposes of this Act undersub-section (1) of section 4; (e) “general aid to navigation” means any aid to navigation, which the Central Government may, bynotification in the Official Gazette, declare to be a general aid to navigation for the purposes of thisAct; (f) “heritage lighthouse” means an aid to navigation designated as such under section 23; (g) “local aid to navigation” means any aid to navigation which is not a general aid to navigation; (h) “local authority” means a State Government or other person having superintendence andmanagement over a local aid to navigation; (i) “marine aids to navigation dues” means the dues levied under section 24; (j) “notification” means a notification published in the Official Gazette of India and the expression“notify” with its grammatical variation and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly; (k) “owner” means the owner of a vessel including its registered owner, a person to whom a sharein the vessel belongs, bareboat charterer, manager and operator of the vessel; (l) “port” means any port as defined in the Indian Ports Act, 1908 (15 of 1908); (m) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; (n) “proper officer” in relation to any functions to be performed under this Act, means the officer ofcustoms who is assigned those functions by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customsconstituted under the Central Boards of Revenue Act, 1963 (54 of 1963), and includes any personappointed by the Central Government to discharge the functions of a proper officer under this Act; (o) “rule” means rules made by the Central Government under this Act; (p) “ship” includes a sailing vessel; (q) “vessel” includes every description of water craft used or capable of being used in the marineenvironment, such as ship, boat, sailing vessel, fishing vessel, submersible, semi-submersible,hydrofoils, non-displacement crafts, amphibious crafts, wing-in-ground crafts, pleasure crafts, barges,lighters, mobile offshore drilling units or mobile offshore units; (r) “vessel traffic service” means a service implemented under this Act to improve the safety andefficiency of vessel traffic and to protect the environment (2) Words and expressions used but not defined in this Act, and defined in the Merchant Shipping Act,1958 (44 of 1958), shall have the same meanings respectively assigned to them in that Act.

The Central Government may, by notification inthe Official Gazette, designate any aid to navigation to be a general aid to navigation.

(1) The CentralGovernment shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint, (a) the Director General; (b) Deputy Director Generals; and (c) Directors for districts. (2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), the Central Government may demarcate such areas to bedistricts. (3) Every officer appointed under sub-section (1) shall discharge his functions under the generalsuperintendence and control of the Director General.

The Director General shall advise the Central Government onmatters relating to aids to navigation and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the CentralGovernment under this Act or in any other law for the time being in force.