**Executive Summary**
DGS Order No. 22 of 2020, issued on August 5, 2020, addresses the issuance of Seamen Identity Cards to Sailing Vessel Crew. It acknowledges difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to facilitate easier issuance of identity cards. It dispenses with the requirement of the I-Card to have the signature of respective issuing authorities, subject to specified conditions. The order is effective immediately.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Background and Authority:**
* The Merchant Shipping (Sailing Vessels) Rules, 1997, mandates identity cards for all persons serving on board a sailing vessel.
* Section 456 of the MS Act, 1958, empowers the Central Government to dispense with specified requirements if compliance has been substantially achieved or is not necessary in the circumstances.
* **COVID-19 Impact and Need for Procedural Dispensation:**
* The COVID-19 pandemic has hindered the signing of identity cards by issuing authorities and affected employment opportunities for sailing vessel crew.
* There is a need to ensure ease and efficiency in issuing identity cards to serve national interests.
* **Revised Issuance Procedure:**
* The applicant shall submit the application for identity cards electronically through the e-module developed by the DG Shipping.
* The application shall be accepted and scrutinized by the Regional Officer (Sails).
* On acceptance of the application, the Regional Officer (Sails) may forward the application to the Directorate for printing.
* The signature on the I-card shall be put/inked by the Regional Officer (Sails), Mumbai.
* **Other Authority**
* All other authority exercisable by the issuing authority under above mentioned rules shall continue to be exercised by respective issuing authority.
* **Effective Date:**
* The order is effective immediately.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder:** Sailing Vessel Crew/Applicants
* **Impact:** Streamlined application process for Seamen Identity Cards due to the dispensed signature requirement.
* **Action Required:** Submit applications electronically through the DG Shipping e-module and follow the new procedures outlined in the order.
**Stakeholder:** Regional Officer (Sails)
* **Impact:** Increased responsibility in scrutinizing applications and ensuring compliance. Task of imprinting the signature on the I-card.
* **Action Required:** Accept and scrutinize applications as per existing rules, forward accepted applications to the Directorate for printing, and ink the I-Card.
**Stakeholder:** Directorate General of Shipping
* **Impact:** Centralized processing of identity card issuance.
* **Action Required:** Continue to process applications forwarded by Regional Officer (Sails) for printing of I-Cards.
Key Entities Referenced
Merchant Shipping Act, 1958: Governing law referenced for the issuance of Seamen Identity Cards
Merchant Shipping (Sailing Vessels) Rules, 1997: Rules governing identity cards for sailing vessel crew, provides the basis for the order.
Directorate General of Shipping: Responsible for developing the online module and issuing the order.
Section 456 of MS Act, 1958: Empowers the Central Government to dispense with specified requirements under certain conditions.
Seamen Identity Cards: Subject of the DGS order; card to be issued to sailing vessel crew
,. ' (,t \r{r, : ...
"'- j fa-t"^ 'n ! p z'1+ .c "^ a'. t "'
:.? fI jj
.i
a,r. *;;! u.',,
: \.1.1{.]trt."r;'L
/-G.
':-\;,f 1qre-!_q-,.+--.:.pqjrl:--- - rnir qrrrv GoVERNMENT OF INDIA
qt{Ft
qtd dilTq / MtNtsrRY oF SHIPPING
drf{
r6frA$ffiq,rtr$
DTRECTORATE GENERAL OF SHIPPING, MUMBAI
F.No.2 1 - I 20 I I / I /2020-COASTAL-DGS Date:05.08.2020
0b
DGS ORDER No.22 of 2020
Subject: Issuance of Seamen Identi8 Cards to Sailins Vessel Crew - res.
1. Whereas, the Merchant Shipping (Sailing Vessels) Rules, 1997, notified under sub-section (l)
of Section 420, sub-section (1) of Section 435 and Section 457 read with Sections 429 and 458 of the
Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958), mandates that every person serving on board a sailing
vessel should be having an identity card issued by the issuing authority specified in Schedule V of the
said rules.
2. Whereas the Directorate General of General of Shipping has developed an online module for
issuance of identity caids for persons sailing on board sailing vessel which is being processed centrally
at the Directorate. In the COVID-I9 pandemic situation it is not possible to have it signed by the
issuing authorities as mentioned in the Schedule V of the said rules.
3. Whereas, such a situation appears to be affecting the employment of people on sailing vessels
and such hindrance is averse to national interest. Moreover, the lock-down situation due to pandemic
has resulted in loss of employment to various people in the country. Therefore, there is a need to
facilitate easy and efficient issuance of l-cards, so that employment opportunities are not lost for
citizen of the country in sailing vessels.
4. Whereas, Section 456 of MS Act, 1958 empowers the Central Government that it may by order
in writing and upon such conditions, if any, as it may think fit to impose, dispense with the observance
of any specified requirement to be compiled by any ship or sailing vessel or any master, tindal or
seaman, if it is satisfied that requirement has been substantially complied with or that compliance with
the requirement is or ought to be dispensed with in the circumstances of the case.
5. Whereas, due to circumstances posed by the pandemic situation (spread of COVID-l9), there
has arisen a need to ensure ease and efficiency in the issuance ofthe identity cards to persons form
serving on board sailing vessels in a manner that is best suited to serve national interests and to meet
the objectives of the Act. Under the circumstances / situation, in public interest, demand that some
procedural dispensation needs to be given for issuance of I-Card.
*f 6 ffi
+qq,5i5< ns5t{< m't (T0, - 4ooo42
96 Ftoor,BETA Building,I-Think Techno Cempus, Kanjur Village RoadK-anju-rmarg (E) / Mumbai {00042
furcl: gt-22-2sis2o4oltan, twlrl. z 9t-22-2s7'202cns t lqrE-meil: dqship-dqs@tric.ineiRntzltcbsitc: wwr.dsshiooins.eov.in-2-
6.
Now therefore, the Director General of Shipping in exercise of power under section 456 read
with S.O. 3lzl4 dated 1711211960 dispenses the requirement of the I-Card to have the signature of
respective issuing authorities, on the conditions as below:
a) The applicant shall submit the application for identity cards electronically through the e-
module developed by the DG Shipping.
b) The application shall be accepted and scrutinized by the Regional Officer (Sails) as per the
applicable Rule requirements.
c)
On acceptance. of the application, Regional Officer (Sails) may forward the application to the
Directorate for printing.
d) The signature on I-card shall be put / inked by the Regional oflicer (Sails), Mumbai, who is
one ofthe signatory as per aforesaid mentioned MS (Sailing Vessel) Rules, 1997.
7.
All other authority exercisable by the issuing authority under above mentioned rules shall
continue to be exercised by respective issuing authority.
8.
This Order shall come into force with an immediate effect.
Itl
r/^''"-J
td\,^"",,la7t"(
x" *16f$OM
(Amitabh
Director General of Shipping &
Additional Secretary to the Govt. oflndia
To:
All Regional Ofiicers (Sails)
{iaf:,€r,Ffr,{Fq-ffrinfn}dr+qqirg{@
.
_
$fn T.L:
9I_ -2ri
2
r -2lg 57l 5:t 2E OOT /A
tf2
lrB
,
u t. tit rd /i Fng .r, .l :- T 9h l-2in 2k
-Z
ST Zc Sc mhn Zo
S
AC Sr m t_p +u {rs O, _K ma rin
t:
ji dr lrV bi i, oa _g dc
;
sR ano ia cd .iK tra tfn lrj tu 4i wm cr ir ig
tc
i*lE wy
w
t
.
dM pu sm tiob os ii
r
s_ .p40 o0 ".M ir2