National Maritime Day is being observed today. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has congratulated all naval officers and sailors and greeted them for their contribution on the occasion. In a tweet, Mr. Javadekar said, the government is committed for the protection of marine environment.<br />''<br />''5th of April is a landmark date in the navigation history of India. It is on this day in 1919 when Indian shipping embarked on its maiden voyage as India's first merchant vessel, the SS Loyalty, journeyed from Mumbai to London.<br />''<br />''In India, more than 90 percent of the goods of a country's trade are moved through maritime transport. The number of vessels in the Indian Shipping Register has increased from a paltry 59 in the year 1947 to an impressive 1,392 ships in 2019, with the gross tonnage rising commensurately to over 12 million GRT. <br />