Notification of first amendment of Inland Vessels safe navigation communication and signal Rules 2026

REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99 The Gazette of India CG-DL-E-05032026-270689 EXTRAORDINARY PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (i) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 149] NEW DELHI, THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2026/PHALGUNA 14, 1947 MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 5th March, 2026 G.S.R. 155(E).— Whereas a draft of the Inland Vessels (Safe Navigation, Communication & Signal) (First Amendment) Rules, 2025 were published, as required under sub-section (1) of section 106 of the Inland Vessels Act, 2021 (24 of 2021) vide notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways number G.S.R. 83 (E), dated the 29th January, 2025, in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, section 3, sub-section (i), dated the 29th January, 2025, inviting objections and suggestions from persons likely to be affected thereby, before the expiry of the period of thirty days from the date on which copies of the official Gazette containing the said notification were made available to the public; And whereas, copies of the said notification were made available to the public on the 29th January, 2025; And whereas, no objections and suggestions were received from the public in respect of the said draft rules by the Central Government. Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (2) of section 47 read with clauses (zj) and (zk) of sub-section (2) of section 106 of the Inland Vessels Act, 2021 (24 of 2021), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules to amend the Inland Vessels (Safe Navigation, Communication and Signals) Rules, 2022, namely: – 1. (1) These rules may be called the Inland Vessels (Safe Navigation, Communication & Signals) (First Amendment) Rules, 2026. (2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. 2. In the Inland Vessels (Safe Navigation, Communication and Signals) Rules, 2022 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules), in rule 2, after clause (f), and the entries relating thereto, the following Explanation shall be inserted, namely: - "Explanation. - For the purpose of this clause, gross tonnage of vessels measuring twenty four meters and above shall be calculated according to the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969, whereas gross tonnage of vessels with less than twenty four meters shall be calculated according to rule 3 of the Merchant Shipping (Tonnage Measurement of Ships) Rules, 1987.". 3. In the said rules, after rule 16, the following Chapter heading shall be inserted, namely: - "CHAPTER V- CONDUCT OF INLAND VESSELS OF RESTRICTED VISIBILITY". 4. In the said rules, after rule 17, for the Chapter heading “CHAPTER V- CONDUCT OF INLAND VESSELS OF RESTRICTED VISIBILITY”, the following Chapter heading shall be substituted, namely: – "CHAPTER VI - LIGHTS AND SHAPES". 5. In the said rules, in rule 18, - (i) for the marginal heading, the following marginal heading shall be substituted, namely:- "General requirements of lights and shapes”; (ii) for sub-rule (4), the following sub-rule shall be substituted, namely: - “(4) The lights and shapes shall comply with the provisions of clauses (a) and (b) of sub-rule (1) and sub-rule (2) of rule 23.”." 6. In the said rules, after rule 18, the chapter heading “CHAPTER VI – LIGHTS AND SHAPES” shall be omitted. 7. In the said rules, in rule 23, in sub-rule (1), – (a) in clause (a), after the words "two all round red lights," the words "about one metre one above another" shall be inserted; (b) in clause (b), after the words "two balls or similar shapes in a vertical line", the words "about one metre one above the other" shall be inserted. 8. In the said rules, in rule 26, in sub-rule (2), for the figures "20", the words " fifty" shall be substituted. 9. In the said rules, for rule 33, the following rule shall be substituted, namely: – "33. Radio and navigation equipment. – (1) The vessels operating in zone 1 and zone 2 shall be provided with the following equipment as a minimum, namely: – (a) magnetic compass (hand held or portable type or electronic type); (b) very high frequency radio; (c) class B automatic identification system with display; (d) global positioning system navigator; (e) binocular; (f) aldis lamp or search light; and (g) rudder angle indicator. (2) The vessels operating in zone 3 shall be provided with the following equipment as a minimum, namely: - (a) very high frequency radio or ultra high frequency radio; (b) class B automatic identification system with display; (c) magnetic compass (hand held or portable type or electronic type); (d) binocular; and (e) aldis lamp or search light.”. [F. No. IWT-11011/91/2021-IWT(6)] Dr. KAMALA KANTA NATH, Adviser (Statistics) Note: The Inland Vessels (Safe Navigation, Communication and Signals) Rules, 2022 were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), dated the 7th June, 2022, vide notification number G.S.R. 424 (E), dated the 7th June, 2022. Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064 and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054. SRIVASTAVA SARVESH KUMAR Digitally signed by SARVESH KUMAR