17. Registration.—(1) Any mechanically propelled inland vessel, which is wholly owned by—
(a) a citizen of India; or
(b) a co-operative society registered or deemed to be registered under the Co-operative Societies
Act, 1912 (2 of 1912); or
(c) a body established under any Act relating to co-operative societies for the time being in force
in any State; or
(d) a company registered under the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013); or
(e) a partnership firm registered under the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 (6 of 2009); or
(f) any other body including a partnership firm, trust or societies established by or under any
Central or State enactment and which has its principal place of business in India;
(g) any legal business combination, otherwise allowed under the existing commercial law for the
time being in force in India, within the permissible foreign direct investment limits in the sector and
having its principal place of business in India,
shall be registered under the provisions of this Act.
(2) A foreign vessel, other than vessels registered or obligated to register under the Merchant
Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958), chartered on bareboat charter-cum-demise by an Indian charterer, for
the purposes of plying exclusively within inland waters, shall be registered under the provisions of this
Chapter.
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(3) The inland vessels registered under this Act may also be registered under the Merchant Shipping
Act, 1958 (44 of 1958).
Explanation.—For the purposes of sub-section (2), “Indian charterer” shall mean a person referred to
in clauses (a) to (g) of sub-section (1), who has chartered a vessel on bareboat charter-cum-demise
contract.
18. Requirement of certificate of registration.—(1) A mechanically propelled inland vessel required to be
registered under this Chapter, shall not proceed on any voyage or be used for any service, unless it has a valid
certificate of registration granted under this Act in respect thereof.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the authority appointed or authorised under this
Chapter may—
(a) permit any mechanically propelled inland vessel, built at any place other than a port or place
of registry, to make her first voyage through the inland waters to any such port or place for the
purpose of registration; or
(b) permit the vessel registered under any law for the time being in force in India for which
provisions have been made under this Act to conduct voyage within the inland waters; or
(c) permit any mechanically propelled vessel registered under such laws of countries other than
India, which shall only be permitted to ply within the inland waters subject to compliance of such terms and
conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
19. Owner or master to carry certificate of registration.—(1) The owner or master of an inland
vessel shall carry a valid certificate of registration issued under this Chapter and shall make available for
inspection, when demanded by the officers appointed by the State Government.
(2) The State Government or such other officer appointed or authorised under this Chapter may detain
any mechanically propelled inland vessel required to be registered under this Act, until the respective
owner, operator or master of such vessel furnishes a valid certificate of registration.
20. Appointment of ports or places of registry and Registrars of Inland Vessels.—(1) For the
purposes of this Chapter, the State Government may, by notification, —
(a) appoint ports or places of registry; and
(b) appoint Registrar of Inland Vessels at the said ports or places of registry, who shall be deemed
to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
(2) A Registrar of Inland Vessels shall, in respect to the port or place of registry for which he is
appointed, perform his functions as may be prescribed by the State Government.
21. Book of registry.—(1) The Registrar of Inland Vessels shall maintain and keep a book of
registry, which shall have record of all particulars contained in the form of certificate of registration as
may be prescribed by the Central Government.
(2) The Registrar of Inland Vessels shall report the details of the book of registry or entries made
therein, to the State Government at regular intervals, in such manner and period as may be prescribed by
the State Government.
(3) The State Government shall report and update the Central Government in respect of—
(a) the designated ports and places of registry;
(b) the details of officers appointed or authorised under this Chapter; and
(c) the details of registrations as entered in the book of registry,
to facilitate and administer the registration processes under this Chapter.
22. Central database of inland vessels.—The Central Government shall appoint officers to maintain
a central data base for inland vessels, in such form and manner, and the functions of the officers so
appointed shall be such, as may be prescribed by that Government.
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23. Application and processes of registration of vessels.—(1) The owner or master, may make an
application for registration of a mechanically propelled inland vessel, which has a valid certificate of
survey issued under this Act, in such form, manner and along with such particulars, as may be prescribed
by the Central Government.
(2) The list of documents to be submitted or adduced by the applicants for registration, in addition to
the particulars referred to in sub-section (1), shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central
Government.
(3) Every application for registration shall be made to the Registrar of Inland Vessels, within the
jurisdiction of the respective State in which the owner of the mechanically propelled inland vessel—
(a) ordinarily resides; or
(b) has the principal place of business or the officially registered office.
(4) If the Registrar of Inland Vessels is satisfied that the vessel or the application submitted for
registration is not in compliance with the provisions of this Act, he may refuse to register a mechanically
propelled inland vessel for reasons to be recorded in writing and shall provide the applicant a note
containing the reasons for such refusal.
24. Grant of certificate of registration and marking of vessel.—(1) Subject to the provisions of
section 23, the Registrar of Inland Vessels shall, grant the certificate of registration to the applicant, who
has paid such fee, as may be prescribed by the State Government, and assign the official number to such
registered vessel.
(2) The certificate of registration shall be in such form and content, as may be prescribed by the
Central Government, and shall contain the following particulars, namely:—
(a) registered address of the owner and other ownership details;
(b) details of mortgage, if any;
(c) official number;
(d) classification and category of vessel;
(e) any other particular, as may be prescribed by the State Government.
(3) The owner shall display the official number on a conspicuous part of the vessel, as may be
prescribed by the State Government.
25. Effect of certificate of registration.—(1) The certificate of registration granted under section 24
shall be deemed to be valid in all States and Union territories, unless otherwise specified therein.
(2) The certificate of registration issued under this Chapter shall be conclusive proof of ownership
and title, as declared by the applicant and as entered in the book of registry by the Registrar of Inland
Vessels.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, any person who has beneficial interest of
ownership in the mechanically propelled inland vessel or shares therein, shall have the same rights as that
of the registered owner and shall be deemed as owner of such vessel for the purposes of this Act.
26. Duplicate certificate.—(1) If the certificate of registration issued under this Chapter is lost or
destroyed, the registered owner shall apply for a duplicate certificate to the Registrar of Inland Vessels,
who has issued such certificate of registration, in such form and manner as may be prescribed by the State
Government.
(2) The Registrar of Inland Vessels shall, on receipt of application under sub-section (1) and such fees
or additional fees, as may be prescribed by the State Government, issue the duplicate certificate of
registration.
27. Provisional certificate of registration.—(1) The Registrar of Inland Vessels may, pending
issuance of the certificate of registration, upon an application and on payment of fee, by the applicant,
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issue a provisional certificate of registration valid for such period as may be prescribed under sub-section
(2).
(2) The application, fee and the issuance of provisional certificate of registration referred to in subsection (1) shall be in such form, rate and manner, as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
(3) During the period of validity of the provisional certificate of registration, the owner, operator,
master or construction yard shall implement and comply with all necessary steps to be taken to have the
vessel registered under this Chapter.
28, Registration of modifications or alterations.—(1) The owner, operator or master of any
mechanically propelled inland vessel, shall make an application, in such form, manner and within such
period as may be prescribed by the State Government, to effect any alteration or modification affecting
the strength, stability or safety of such mechanically propelled inland vessel along with the respective
certificate of survey, in which such alteration or modification have been approved, to the respective
Registrar of Inland Vessels, who has issued the certificate of registration.
(2) The Registrar of Inland Vessels shall, on receipt of application and the certificate of survey and on
receipt of such fee, as may be prescribed by the State Government, either cause the alteration or
modification to be registered and entered in the certificate of registration, or direct that the vessel be
registered anew:
Provided that, where the Registrar of Inland Vessels, directs that the vessel be registered anew, he
shall grant a provisional certificate for a specific period describing the vessel as altered or endorse on the
existing certificate about the particulars of the alteration.
(3) Any mechanically propelled inland vessel found plying without complying with sub-section (1) or
sub-section (2) shall be detained by such authority or officer as the State Government may, by general or
special order, appoint in this behalf.
29. Change of residence or place of business.—(1) If the owner of a mechanically propelled inland
vessel ceases to reside or carry on business at the registered address recorded in the certificate of
registration of the vessel, such person shall comply with the procedures prescribed under sub-section (2)
by the Central Government.
(2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), the procedures to be complied with by the owner of any
mechanically propelled inland vessel, who ceases to be the owner or applies for the requirement of
transfer of registry or any such circumstances leading to change of the registered address, shall be such as
may be prescribed by the Central Government.
30. Prohibition against transfer of ownership of registered vessel.—No mechanically propelled
inland vessel registered with the registering authority of a State Government under this Chapter, shall be
transferred to a person residing in any country other than India, without the prior approval of the Registrar
of Inland Vessels, who has originally granted the certificate of registration and such a transfer shall be
validated only if made in compliance with such procedures as may be prescribed by the Central
Government.
31.Suspension of certificate of registration.—(1) The Registrar of Inland Vessels may at any time,
require any mechanically propelled inland vessel within the local limits of his jurisdiction to be inspected
by such authority as the State Government may, by general or special order, appoint in this behalf.
(2) As a result of such inspection, if the Registrar of Inland Vessels has reason to believe that after the
granting of the certificate of registration, the mechanically propelled inland vessel became unfit to ply in
inland waters, order suspension of the certificate of registration of the said vessel for such period as he
may deem fit.
(3) The Registrar of Inland Vessels shall, before suspending a certificate of registration, provide to the
owner, operator or master an opportunity of being heard, and record the reasons for such suspension.
(4) The Registrar of Inland Vessels who suspends the certificate of registration under sub-section (2),
shall issue a notice of suspension to the registered owner stating the reasons for suspension and the
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conditions to be complied within such period, as may be prescribed by the State Government, for
withdrawal of such order of suspension.
(5) Where the registration of a mechanically propelled inland vessel is suspended under sub-section
(2) by any Registrar of Inland Vessels, other than the Registrar of Inland Vessels who has originally
issued the certificate of registration, the former shall intimate the latter, regarding such order of
suspension or withdrawal of such order of suspension; and the latter shall enter such order in the book of
registry in which the registration of the vessel is originally recorded.
(6) The Registrar of Inland Vessels suspending the certificate of registration, shall confiscate such
certificate and return the certificate to the owner or master only upon withdrawal of the order of
suspension.
32.Cancellation of registration.—(1) If any mechanically propelled inland vessel registered under
this Act is declared missing, destroyed, lost, abandoned or has been rendered permanently unfit for
service or destined for scrapping or dismantling or sold abroad; the owner of the vessel shall, within such
time as may be prescribed by the Central Government, report the fact to the Registrar of Inland Vessels of
the place where the vessel is registered and shall also forward to that authority, along with the report, the
certificate of registration of the vessel and thereupon such Registrar of Inland Vessels shall have the
certificate of registration cancelled.
(2) Any Registrar of Inland Vessels may at any time require that any mechanically propelled inland
vessel within the local limits of his jurisdiction may be inspected by such designated authority as the State
Government may, by general or special order, appoint in this behalf and, if as a result of such inspection,
such Registrar of Inland Vessels is satisfied that the vessel is in such a condition that it is not fit to ply in
any inland water, the Registrar of Inland Vessels may, after giving the owner of the vessel an opportunity
of being heard, cancel the registration of the vessel and require the owner thereof to surrender forthwith to
him, the certificate of registration in respect of that vessel, if it has not already been so surrendered.
33. Mortgage of mechanically propelled inland vessel or share therein.—(1) A registered
mechanically propelled inland vessel or a share therein may be mortgaged as a security for a loan or other
valuable consideration, and the instrument creating the security shall be in such form, as may be
prescribed by the Central Government, and on the production of such instrument, the Registrar of Inland
Vessels who granted the certificate of registration shall record it in the book of registry.
(2) The manner and the conditions, subject to which a mechanically propelled inland vessel or a share
therein may be mortgaged, shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government.