National Maritime University to come up at Chemmancherry

National Maritime University to come up at Chemmancherry

A new National Maritime University along with a National Maritime Complex will come up at Chemmancherry on the city's outskirts at a cost of Rs.1,300 crore, T.R.Baalu, Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, said here on Saturday. Speaking at a function after laying the foundation stone for new hostel block, marine workshop building and additional lecture halls on the National Maritime Academy premises at Uthandi on East Coast Road, Mr. Baalu said the university would come up on a 106 acres and the complex would encompass 200 acres of land. The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of the university near Chennai and the Bill is before the Parliamentary Affairs Minister. Once the approval is given, the work will begin and will be completed within 18 months, Mr. Baalu said. The complex project would be a public-private partnership one, and included an aquarium, art gallery, marine museum, seminar hall besides a marine food court. Talking about training to marine engineering students, Mr. Baalu said his department would acquire five vessels from the Shipping Corporation of India to provide hands-on training. Each ship would provide training for 18 students at a time.

Similarly, the duration of training for the marine students had been reduced from 18 months to 12 months.

Detailed project reports on creating fishing harbours in Thondi, Muthupet, Sethubhavasamuthram and Mookaiyur have been completed. The project report for a multi-purpose port at Rameswaram is in progress and tenders have been called for constructing a berthing jetty at Dhanushkodi, Mr. Baalu said.

.P.V.N. Sarma, Secretary (Shipping), Government of India, said Rs.55,000 crore would be invested in the port sector and Rs.45,000 crore in the Shipping sector under the National Marine Development programme. The projects would be implemented with the participation of private and public sectors.

P. Vijayan, Director, National Maritime Academy, said the academy had signed a memorandum of understanding with Dalian University and Shanghai University, both in China, to conduct two MBA Programs - Port and Shipping Management and International Transportation and Logistics.

The academy would also provide training to four batches of personnel from the Indian Economic Services from next month onwards. The academy would also conduct B.Sc (Nautical Sciences) course in association with Indira Gandhi National Open University.

National Maritime University to come up at Chemmancherry

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