Major and minor ports
Also called: Major ports, Minor ports, Non-major ports · Topic: Infrastructure: Transport, Communications and Energy · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 7 "Physical Infrastructure"
Meaning
Seaports are places where ships load and unload cargo. India divides them into two groups by who controls them. Major ports are under the Union government (Union List entry 27; Major Port Authorities Act 2021). Non-major ("minor") ports are under state governments and state maritime boards (Concurrent List entry 31). "Minor" refers to who controls the port, not always to its size.
Example
Class 7 counts 12 major ports and about 217 non-major ports. Vadhavan in Maharashtra was approved in 2024 as the 13th major port. Cargo handled at ports has risen 50% in the past decade.
Don't confuse with
- Transshipment hub: this describes what a port does, namely moving cargo between ships on the way to their final destination. It is not based on who controls the port.