April 5: National Maritime Day

Every year 5th April is being observed as National Maritime Day of India. 2016 was the 53rd edition of National Maritime Day and the theme was “Ease of doing business in the maritime sector”.
Significance of the day: On this day in 1919 navigation history was created when SS Loyalty, the first ship of the Scindia Steam Navigation Company, journeyed to the United Kingdom. It was a crucial step for India shipping history when sea routes were controlled by the British.
Background
The National Maritime Day was first celebrated on 5th April, 1964. India is strategically located in the Indian sub-continent and has about 7516 kilometres of coastline. The long coastline is serviced by a total of 182 ports, 12 of them under a special status as Major Ports. Presently, 90 per cent of India’s international trade in terms of volume and 77 per cent in terms of value is moved by sea.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2016