Indian Maritime University (IMU), Kolkata Campus celebrated World Maritime Day by inviting dignitaries from the maritime fraternity and proud Alumni, through its webinar on 30th September.

2021 has been chosen by the International Maritime Organization to be marked as a year of action for seafarers, who faced gruelling hardship because of COVID-19 pandemic, despite their vital role as key contributors of international supply chains.

The world Maritime day theme – Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future aims to extend the visibility of seafarers by highlighting the important roles they play now and will continue to play in the near future.

Mr Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of IMO, Mr M Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India, Mr Jagdeep Dhankhar, Honourable Governor of West Bengal, Professor DP Singh, Honourable Chairman UGC, Mr Amitabh Kumar, DG, Shipping, Mr Uday Purohit, President, IMEI and Maritime Union of India (MUI) extended their warm greetings to the IMU and the participants and wish the event a grand success.

Dr Malini Shankar, Vice-Chancellor, IMU welcomed the Alumni of the University and participants and expressed her satisfaction towards the work done in favour of seafarers from international bodies like ILO.

She said “IMU is working towards the maritime researches in collaboration with some institutes which will help the seafarers acquire competence and global standards. I seek cooperation from the industry people to achieve these goals.”

Dr Ravi Mehrotra, Executive Chairman, Foresight Group Ltd recalling his Alma Mater days said, “We have to continue to focus on seafarer’s training and their professional growth. Hard work, consistency and perseverance are required for success, money comes at a later stage.”

Mr Maneesh Pradhan, Managing Director, Anglo-Eastern Ship Management (India) Pvt Ltd opined, “If ships are the hardware then seafarers are the software. Seafarers are more than what the world sees. The international shipping industry consists of more than 80 per cent of the aggregate global trade among people and communities across the world.

During these dire times – shipping played a major role in transporting vital medical supplies, food, and other basic goods that are significant for Covid-19 response and recovery and the world should appreciate and support the free moment of seafarers considering their crucial role in the world trade”.

“Environmental aspect is going to make massive changes in the shipping which need to be tackled through various researches and educational courses,” stated Mr Rajeev Nayyer, Ex-CEO & Whole Time Director, OGD Services Ltd.

Commodore Srikant Kesnur, Director, Maritime Warfare Centre and OI/C Naval History Project, Indian Navy said “Seafarers are the centre to the world economy maritime safety and enjoyment are the hot point of discussion nowadays and Indian Navy is committed towards these aspects and you can see us on the forefront dealing with these issues.”

World Maritime Day was celebrated for the first time on March 17, 1978. Since then during World Maritime Day, public attention is drawn to maritime safety and the marine environment, as well as IMO initiatives in a particular area.

Marex Media