Kochi, April 8 IANS) Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for a girls' hostel building and virtually inaugurated infrastructure development projects across six campuses of the Indian Maritime University (IMU) for the upgradation of maritime education and infrastructure.
The projects, with a total estimated cost of Rs 67.77 crore, were announced during a ceremony that he chaired at the IMU campus in Kochi.
Among the key projects is a new girls' hostel at IMU Kochi, for which Sonowal laid the foundation stone.
Developed at a cost of Rs 13.11 crore, the facility will significantly improve residential accommodation for female maritime students.
Simultaneously, the Minister also virtually inaugurated several infrastructure projects across five IMU campuses - Chennai, Kolkata, Navi Mumbai, Mumbai Port, and Visakhapatnam.
These include the installation of state-of-the-art simulators, the establishment of solar power plants, the enhancement of sports facilities, and the renovation of student hostels - all aimed at boosting the quality of both academic and residential experiences.
Addressing the gathering, Sonowal reiterated the Union government’s resolve to transform maritime education in India by providing world-class infrastructure and training environments.
"These 17 projects mark a significant step in our mission to strengthen India’s maritime education landscape. With modern infrastructure and advanced facilities, we are enabling students to excel and meet global maritime standards," he said.
Later, an interactive session discussing the future of maritime education, innovation in training, and the roadmap for continued infrastructure development across IMU campuses was also held.
The Indian Maritime University is a public central university directly under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. It is the national institution for maritime education, commercial shipping, marine engineering, and maritime administration, established by the Indian Maritime University Act 2008, on November 14, 2008.
Before the foundation of the IMU, there were seven separate teaching and research institutes under the Ministry of Shipping, and following its setting up, these legacy institutes were subsumed under it. It is India's prestigious institution for the training of Merchant Navy officers.
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