(1) No vessel registered in any country other than India shall be permitted to be used or employed for the purposes of, carriage of goods, transportation of passengers, storage units, accommodation, floating units or for such other purposes within the inland waters, unless such vessel has secured prior permission from the Central Government for its use or employment for such purposes and subject to such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government:
Provided that, where the Central Government has entered or in the event of that Government entering into bilateral or multilateral treaties pertaining to the inland navigation, whereby the permission is provided to the vessels belonging to foreign countries to ply within inland waters of India, the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be, shall impose or apply such vessels belonging to the foreign countries, with the same conditions to the service providers in India.
(2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), any certificate granted by any other foreign country in accordance with the provisions of any law for the time being in force in that country corresponding to the provisions as provided in Chapters IV, V and VI under this Act may, on payment of such fees as may be prescribed by the Central Government, for the grant of a similar certificate or licence under this Act, be endorsed by—
(a) any State Government in India; or
(b) with the general or special sanction and subject to such other terms and conditions of such State Government, by any authority competent to grant a similar certificate under this Act.
(3) Upon endorsement of any such certificate as provided in sub-section (2), it shall have effect for such period and to such extent as may be prescribed by the Central Government and shall be treated as if it had been granted under this Act.