In India, the ports are categorized as major and non-major ports. Which one of the following is a non-major port?

Answer: (b) Dahej

Dahej (Gujarat) comes under the Gujarat Maritime Board — a non-major port, known for Petronet’s LNG terminal.

The idea

Major and non-major are administrative categories of Indian ports. The distinction concerns the government responsible for them, rather than cargo volume, water depth or private investment. A large privately operated terminal can therefore belong to the non-major category.

Why the others are wrong

(a) Kochi is one of the 12 major ports.

(c) Paradip (Odisha) is a major port — big for iron ore and coal.

(d) New Mangalore (Karnataka) is a major port.

The trap

Dahej handles a lot of cargo, so it feels major. The label is about WHO runs the port, not its size — Mundra, India’s biggest private port, is also non-major.

Also know

Mundra and Pipavav are other Gujarat non-major ports. Kandla, now Deendayal Port, lies on the Gulf of Kutch; Dahej lies on the Gulf of Khambhat. LNG terminals receive natural gas cooled into a liquid and turn it back into gas, whereas a container terminal handles boxed cargo.