The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), on July 8, 2026, notified the Merchant Shipping (Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage) Rules, 2026, superseding the Merchant Shipping (Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage) Rules, 2008. The Rules, issued under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, came into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette and establish a framework for compulsory insurance and financial security against oil pollution damage.
The Rules apply to Indian ships worldwide and foreign ships operating in Indian ports or coastal waters, except specified government and warships. They require shipowners carrying oil in bulk as cargo to maintain insurance or other financial security covering liability for oil pollution damage in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 and the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, 1992. The Rules also prescribe the procedure for obtaining, renewing, and maintaining Certificates of Insurance or Other Financial Security, including the documentation and particulars to be furnished.
Additionally, the Rules lay down the procedure for reporting the loss, theft, destruction, mutilation, or defacement of certificates and for obtaining duplicate certificates, along with the applicable reporting, documentation, and fee requirements, thereby strengthening compliance with international standards on liability for oil pollution damage.
[Notification No. G.S.R. 611(E)]
