Guwahati to get Mercantile Marine Dept office, maritime education push : Sonowal

way2barak, September 8 : Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on announced plans to establish a Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) office in Guwahati and said Cotton University (CU) would explore collaboration with the National Inland Navigation Institute (NINI), Patna, to expand maritime education and exposure opportunities for students in the Northeast.

Sonowal made the announcements while attending the 44th Manik Chandra Barooah Memorial National Debate Competition at Cotton University on Monday. The event brought together student debaters from institutions across India and Bhutan.

The proposed MMD office under the Directorate General of Maritime Administration will provide seafarer certification and safety-related services closer to aspiring candidates from the Northeast.

Sonowal said the move would reduce the time and cost involved in travelling to distant cities for certification and encourage more youth from the region to pursue careers in the maritime and shipping sector. This was stated in a press release.

He also said Cotton University and NINI, Patna, would explore academic collaboration and student exposure programmes in maritime studies, opening new avenues for students of Assam and the Northeast.

Paying tribute to Manik Chandra Barooah, Sonowal said his vision had given Assam the Cotton College, whose legacy had shaped the intellectual and socio-cultural life of the Northeast for more than a century.

Describing debate as an essential component of democracy, Sonowal said students should learn to argue with logic, listen with respect and disagree with dignity. He urged the young participants to carry the spirit of reasoned dialogue into public life.

The Minister said the initiatives were part of efforts to integrate the Northeast more closely with India’s growth story. He pointed to the region’s extensive riverine resources, particularly the Brahmaputra, and said Assam’s water resources could play a greater role in the country’s maritime and inland waterways development.

Sonowal congratulated the participating debaters and organisers for sustaining the intellectual tradition associated with the annual competition.