Why in the News?
The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, inaugurated the 3rd Global IALA Council Session in Mumbai and launched a Digital Ticketing Portal for Lighthouse Tourism. Over 30 countries are participating in the high-level global event, held from 8–12 December 2025.
About IALA (International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities)
- A non-profit international body that sets global standards for marine aids to navigation.
- Works in areas such as:
- AtoN systems
- VTS standards
- e-Navigation frameworks
- Promotes harmonisation of navigation technologies across member states.
- India is a long-standing member and host of the 3rd Council session.
| India is one of the founding members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal transportation corridor, which will connect (2025)
(a) India to Central Asia to Europe via Iran (b) India to Central Asia via China (c) India to South-East Asia through Bangladesh and Myanmar (d) India to Europe through Azerbaijan |
