Section 6 of The Indian Ports Act, 2025: Functions of Council.
About this Act
An Act to consolidate the law relating to ports, promote integrated port development, facilitate ease of doing business and ensure the optimum utilisation of India's coastline; establish and empower State Maritime Boards for effective management of ports other than major ports; establish the Maritime State Development Council for fostering structured growth and development of the port sector; provide for the management of pollution, disaster, emergencies, security, safety, navigation, and data at ports; ensure compliance with India's obligations under international instruments to which it is a party; take measures for the conservation of ports; provide for adjudicatory mechanisms for the redressal of port-related disputes; and address matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
(a) make recommendations to the Government on,—
(i) the adequacy of the existing legal framework or statutory compliances, with a view to provide for a more efficient and conducive framework for ports in India;
(ii) measures to facilitate growth of the port sector and to promote competition and efficiency in the operation of ports;
(iii) port connectivity and assessing the requirement of other infrastructure through road, rail, inland waterways transport, pipeline and conveyor;
(iv) any other matter relating to ports, as the Council may decide; and
(v) any other matter as may be referred to it by the Central Government or the State Government;
(b) discharge the following functions, in consultation with the Central Government and the State Governments, namely:—
(i) to advise the Central Government on the form ulation of the national perspective plan referred to in section 12;
(ii) issue guidelines in respect of the following, namely:— (A) the data or information to be collected by ports and the manner of collection, storage, updation and submission of such data or information to the Council; (B) to provide for the manner in which any information, records, data and research studies relating to ports, shall be disseminated, including the grant of public access thereto; (C) for ensuring transparency of port tariff;
(c) perform such other functions including administrative and financial functions as may be entrusted to it by the Central Government.
(2) While discharging its functions, the Council shall exercise transparency and take into account the optimum management and utilisation of the available coastline, appropriate cost of logistics through multi- modality, national development priorities, sustainability and issues of national security.
(3) Where the Council considers it expedient so to do for the purpose of discharging its functions under sub-section (1), it may, by order in writing, call upon the Authority, port or any person, at any time to furnish in writing, such information as the Council may require.