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Source-This post on Paradip Port is based on the article “Paradip Port becomes numero uno among Indian Major Ports in cargo throughput in FY 2023-24” published in “PIB” on 2nd April 2024.
Why in the News?
Paradip Port has become the country’s highest cargo-handling major port, surpassing Deendayal Port, Kandla, for the first time in 56 years during the financial year 2023-24.
About Paradip Port
| Aspect | Details |
| Type | Paradip Port is a natural, deep-water port. |
| Location | 1. It is located on the East coast of India in Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha. 2. It is located at the confluence of the Mahanadi river and the Bay of Bengal. |
| Port Administration | The port is managed by the Paradip Port Trust (PPT), an autonomous corporation operating under the Ministry of Shipping through the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. |
| Significance | 1. Paradip is one of India’s major ports and the sole major port in Odisha. 2. It holds the distinction of being the first major port on the East Coast to be commissioned after independence. |
Port Administration in India
1. In India, there are three types of ports: major, minor and intermediate.
2. Major ports are managed by the Central Government, while minor and intermediate ports are overseen by nine coastal states of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
3. India has 205 minor and intermediate ports, along with 13 major seaports (12 government-owned and one private), collectively handling substantial business.
Difference between Major and Minor ports
| Major Port | Minor Port |
| They are overseen by port trusts and the central government. | They are controlled, managed by the state government. |
| They handle international trade | They handle coastal and fishing trade |
| Example – Mumbai, Paradip | Example- Kannur (Kerala) |
UPSC Syllabus – Geography and Places in news
