Delivery Of 7th 250 Men Ferry Craft ‘Manjula’ (Yard 786)

The 7th ferry craft ‘Manjula’ (Yard 786) has been handed over to the Indian Navy on 29 December 2023 in the presence of Rear Admiral Deepak Kumar Goswami, ASD (MBI). All the major and supporting components have been procured from indigenous manufacturers only. Therefore, these ferry crafts are the flag bearers of the 'Make in India' initiative 

of the Defense Ministry.

• In line with the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative of the Government of India, the construction and delivery of 07x 250 Men Ferry Craft has been completed.

Six ferry craft formerly assigned to IN:

• For this, the contract with M/s Shalimar Works Limited, Kolkata, was completed. Under this, six ferry crafts out of seven have already been handed over to IN.
• The seventh ferry craft ‘Manjula’ (Yard 786) can carry 250 men. With its induction into the fleet, movement of both passengers and material between Indian Navy (IN) ports and ships/submarines at anchorage has become extremely convenient.
• This will now provide a major boost to the operational commitments of the Indian Navy.

About Indian Navy (IN):

• IN Established: 26 January 1950
• IN comes under the “Central” Ministry of Defence.
• The supreme commander of the IN is the President.
• Current Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral R. Hari Kumar.
• Navy Day: 4 December
• The theme of Indian Navy (IN) Day 2023 is "Operational Efficiency, Readiness and Mission Achievement in the Maritime Domain".

Indian Navy three commands and their headquarters:

Many important changes took place in IN:

• Many changes have been made in the Indian Navy in the last few years.
• Some major ones are:
  • Adopted a new flag.
  • The use of batons for commanders was discontinued.
  • Traditional Indian dress code allowed.
  • Earlier, there was a red cross symbol on the naval flag. The St. George's Cross, representing a Christian saint and warrior, was an element of the British flag, the Union Jack.
  • The red cross was removed in 2001 and reinstalled in 2004. From 2001 to 2004, the Ashoka symbol was kept in it.
  • In 2014, Satyamev Jayate was written below the Ashoka symbol.

Important facts related to IN:

• At present, the Indian Army and Air Force have seven commands each, while the Indian Navy has three commands.
• There are also two 'tri-services' or 'tri-service commands', the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), headed by officers from the three services.
• Whereas 'Strategic Force Common' is responsible for India's nuclear-related activities.​