INTERACTION: Admiral Arun Prakash, Chief of the Naval Staff, with (from left) Commodore S. Shekhar, Anne Mary Fernandez, Registrar, University of Madras and Gopalji Malviiya, Head, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at the NDC Alumni Associa tion function in Chennai on Thursday. — Photo: Vino John

CHENNAI: India is guilty of colossal neglect of its maritime interests for long, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash said here on Thursday.

Addressing members of the National Defence College Alumni Association-Chennai Chapter, Admiral Prakash said India, by virtue of its geographical location, had always been a seafaring nation, leading to the spread of its culture and religion. Though, in the past India accounted for about 25 per cent of the world trade, it had shrunken to just 0.7 per cent today.

"Maritime presence"

He said in spite of being surrounded by oceans, youth in India were not showing much interest in the maritime sector. Nevertheless, India had a "reckonable maritime presence" in the Indian Ocean region.

The country's economic interests are intertwined with its maritime interests, Admiral Arun Prakash said.

National foundation

Calling for the establishment of a national maritime foundation to coordinate the activities of the entire sector, the Admiral said that at present the sector was managed and controlled by at least 15 different departments and Ministries.

He also expressed concern at the lack of sufficient growth in the shipbuilding and ship repairing sectors.

"They would pay rich dividends," he noted.

Unemployment

On the one hand there was a shortage of well-trained seafarers in India, while on the other there was a growing unemployment problem among candidates passing out of maritime schools, the Chief of Naval Staff said.

M.Phil. degrees

Anne Mary Fernandez, Registrar, University of Madras, said the university would award M.Phil. degrees for courses done at the National Defence College. She said maritime trade had greatly contributed to the human resource development in general.

Gopalji Malviya, Professor and Head, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, University of Madras, said a high degree of competence was required to excel in maritime trade. Commodore

Shekar (retd), secretary, NDC Alumni Association, proposed a vote of thanks.

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