Guwahati: Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday announced that a Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) under the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) will be established in Guwahati to provide seafarer certification and safety services in the Northeast.
Sonowal also said Cotton University and the National Inland Navigation Institute (NINI), Patna, would explore collaboration in maritime studies and student exposure programmes.
He made the announcements while addressing the 44th Manik Chandra Barooah Memorial National Debate Competition at Cotton University in Guwahati, which brought together student debaters from institutions across India and Bhutan.
According to Sonowal, the proposed MMD office would make certification and related safety services more accessible to maritime aspirants from the Northeast, reducing the need to travel to distant cities for such requirements.
He said the proposed collaboration between Cotton University and NINI would provide students from Assam and the wider Northeast with greater exposure to maritime affairs and potential career opportunities in the sector.
Speaking at the event, Sonowal described debate as an important component of democratic life and urged students to develop the ability to argue with logic, listen to opposing views and disagree respectfully.
He also highlighted Cotton University’s historical contribution to education and public life in Assam and the Northeast, recalling the role of Manik Chandra Barooah in the establishment of Cotton College.
Sonowal said maritime affairs had traditionally been viewed as distant from a landlocked state such as Assam, but argued that the region’s river systems, including the Brahmaputra, offer scope for greater engagement with the sector.
The Minister also linked the proposed initiatives to the wider development of maritime and inland waterway infrastructure in the Northeast.
The event was attended by students participating in the national debate competition and university officials.