Mandatory compliance measures to prevent engagement of Seafarers without appropriate training and demonstratable competence prior issuance of certificates – Instructions to Ship Owner, Ship Managers, RPSL Agencies, Seafarers and Stakeholders

DGS (NT/ENG) Circular No. 31 of 2025 File No. 25-13012/3/2024-NT - DGS Date: 18.07.2025 Authorized by Subject: Mandatory compliance measures to prevent engagement of Seafarers without appropriate training and demonstratable Chief Examiner of Master competence prior issuance of certificates – Instructions to Ship & Mates and Chief Owner, Ship Managers, RPSL Agencies, Seafarers and Examiner of Engineers. Stakeholders – reg. Preamble 1. The SOLAS Convention (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) mandates the safe operation of ships in accordance with Chapter IX – Management for the Safe Operation of Ships. The International Safety Management (ISM) Code further requires that seafarers are duly qualified, certified, and medically fit to perform their duties onboard ships. 2. Article I of the STCW Convention (International Convention on Standards of Training,CertificationandWatchkeepingforSeafarers),1978asamended,mandates that each State Party shall ensure that seafarers onboard ships are qualified and fit for their duties, in order to ensure the safety of life at sea and the protection of the marine environment. 3.Article VI of the STCW Convention mandates that certificates for masters, officers, or ratings shall be issued only to candidates who meet the requirements for service, age,medicalfitness,training,qualifications,andexaminations,inaccordancewiththe applicable provisions of the Convention. 4. In order to ensure compliance with the above-mentioned provisions, the Government of India has notified the Merchant Shipping (Management for the Safe Operation of Ships) Rules, 2000, and the Merchant Shipping (STCW) Rules, 2014. The STCW Rules mandate that the training and assessment of seafarers are to be administered, supervised, and monitored in accordance with the STCW Convention. Page1of6Furthermore, each Party is required to ensure that quality standards are enforced for the training, examination, and certification of seafarers. 5. Recognizing, that the Government of India issues Certificates to seafarers only after they complete approved training programmes and demonstrate the required competence in specific duties related to safety, security, and pollution prevention. All such certificates, issued by the Indian maritime administration signifies that the seafarer has met the international standards outlined in the STCW Convention and therefore are recognized by other major maritime administration, in accordance with Regulation I/10 of the STCW Convention. 6. Noting, that approximately 80% of Indian seafarers are employed on foreign- flagged ships, the role of the Recruitment and Placement Service License (RPSL) agencies, which are duly approved by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) in accordance with the Merchant Shipping (Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers) Rules, 2016 — hereinafter referred to as the MS-RPSL Rules has over the years proven to be crucial. 7. The MS-RPSL Rules impose several obligations on these agencies, including but not limited to the following: a. Rule 5(1)(d) of the MS-RPSL Rules mandates that recruitment and placement service providers must verify that the seafarers recruited or placed by them are duly qualified and possess all documents necessary for the jobs concerned. b. Rule 5(1)(k) of the MS-RPSL Rules mandates the development and maintenance ofoperationalpracticesto verify seafarers’medicalexaminations,identity documents, and other items required for their employment. c. Rule 5(1)(l) of the MS-RPSL Rules mandates that agencies must maintain, with due regard to privacy rights and the need to protect confidentiality, full and complete records of seafarers covered by their recruitment and placement system. These records should include, but are not limited to, the seafarers’ qualifications, employment history, personal data relevant to employment, and medical information. d. Rule 5(1)(s) of the MS-RPSL Rules mandates that agencies must ensure all mandatory certificates and documents submitted for employment are up to date, not fraudulently obtained, and that employment references are duly verified. Matter of Concern 8. The Directorate General of Shipping came to know of reported instances of Indian seafarers being offered certificates by unapproved private entities which are not commensurate with the training and assessment standards set by India as a leading maritime administration following a structured programme of examination, assessment and certification, in line with the requirements of the STCW Convention. Furthermore, these seafarers have been lured by authorised as well as unauthorised Page2of6RPSLs to take up assignments on foreign flagged ships without adequate scrutiny of the fraudulent certificates issued to them. 9.Also, few of these fraudulent CoC/CoP holders were found in possession of STCW course certificates issued by maritime training institutes which have not been accorded any kind of approval by the maritime administration of India, i.e. the Directorate General of Shipping. There have been PSC intervention on vessels wherein engagement of seafarers with fraudulent CoCs, CoPs, and STCW course certificates have been noted with concern. 10.As a prudent maritime administration, the Directorate General of Shipping initiated a detailed inquiry into these acts of agents and touts operating both within and outside the country. The common trend noted amongst most of the known cases are as listed below: a. Seafarers sailing as ratings were lured with promises of being eligible to be issued with higher-grade Certificates of Competency (CoCs) and Certificate of Proficiency (CoP) from foreign administrations through fraudulent means. b. Fraudulent agents have been offering ‘package’ of delivering course certificates issued by institutes that were not approved by the Directorate General of Shipping, Govt. of India, and the foreign CoC/CoP without any course being conducted. The inquiry had revealed that these maritime institutes did not even exist at the stated addresses. d. Considering the serious nature of these violations, which undermine the fundamental principles and objectives of the STCW Convention and Rules framed under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, the Directorate has initiated necessary actions including the filing of criminal complaints, confiscation of such fraudulently obtained certificates, and informing the issuing authority with a request to initiate cancellation of certificates by them. 11. In recent times, several Certificates of Competency (CoCs) issued by few AdministrationshavebeenconfiscatedbytheDirectorateGeneralofShipping,aspart of the investigation and as identified during Port State Control (PSC) inspections. These activities which are attributable to a few unscrupulous agents has not only caused disruption to the lives of seafarers who are facing the investigation by the authorities, but has the potential to cause more damages in the future if not suitably addressed at this stage. Immediate & prompt action to be initiated by the Ship Owners/Managers/RPSL agencies & Seafarers: 12. Therefore, in order to curb these fraudulent practices, the Directorate hereby mandates the following measures to be implemented by all the Ship Owners/Ship Managers, RPSL agencies and Seafarers. They shall ensure that: Page3of6a. Seafarers engaged as officers or engineers on any foreign-flagged ships must hold a valid Certificate of Competency (CoC) issued by the Government of India OR by a maritime administration from countries whose certificates are recognized by India through mutual agreement aligning with Regulation I/10 of the STCW Convention (SeeAnnexureA). b. ABs, Watchkeeping ratings, and Ratings must possess a Certificate of Proficiency (CoP) issued or recognized by the Government of India, or by a maritime administration from countries whose certificates are recognized by India through mutual agreement aligning with Regulation I/10 of the STCW Convention (SeeAnnexureA). c. Check for all STCW course certificates of the seafarer to be engaged and ensure that the courses—such as Basic Safety Training, Basic andAdvanced Modular Courses required for obtaining COP/COC for every Indian seafarer must have been issued by maritime training institutes approved by the Directorate General of Shipping. In case of doubt, the DG Shipping webpage may be visited for any confirmation. d. Maritime training certificates for any training programme under the STCW Convention has to be undertaken by training institutes with prior approval of the Directorate General of Shipping only. No entity in India shall issue any training certificate under the STCW Convention without prior approval from the Directorate General of Shipping. e. The authenticity of CoCs, CoPs, and course certificates must be verified through the Directorate’s official website. In case of any doubt or need for clarification,RPSLagenciesshallseekverificationfromthenearestMercantile Marine Department (MMD). f. Seafarers must be engaged in capacity commensurate to their qualifications and must obtain the necessary flag endorsements in accordance with Regulation I/10 of the STCW Convention prior being deployed on ships. g. Failure to comply with these directions may attract penal action under the applicable provisions of the Merchant ShippingAct and the MS-RPSL Rules. h. Seafarers should mandatorily attend training courses only at DGS- approved training institutes and refrain from engaging in any fraudulent practices to obtain certificates purportedly from foreign administrations with the intent of securing employment without undergoing the necessary training, assessment, and certification processes as mandated by international Conventions. Any seafarer found holding fraudulent certificates in violation of these requirements shall be debarred from sailing for a minimum period of two years and CDC of such seafarer shall be suspended immediately and INDoS number will be blocked in e-Gov portal. Page4of613. All stakeholders, including ship owners, ship managers, RPSL agencies and Maritime Training Institutes approved by the Directorate General of Shipping, are hereby required to take serious note of these instructions contained in this circular and initiate necessary action with immediate effect. Seafarers shall be guided accordingly. This is issued with the approval of the CompetentAuthority. (Capt. Ravi Singh Sikarwar) Nautical Surveyor-cum-DDG(Tech.) To 1. The Principal Officers, Mercantile Marine Department, Mumbai / Kolkata / Chennai / Kandla / Kochi. 2. All Surveyor – in – Charge, Mercantile Marine Department 3. The Indian National Ship-ownersAssociation (INSA) 4. The Indian Coastal Conference ShippingAssociation (ICCSA) 5. Foreign Owners Representaition and Ship-managesAssociation (FOSMA) 6. MaritimeAssociation of Ship-owners Ship-manages andAgents (MASSA) 7. All Stakeholders / Shipping Companies through DGS Website. 8. Maritime Unions 9. Hindi Cell – with a request to translate this circular in Hindi and upload on DGS 10.Computer cell. Copy to: 11.PS to DG(S) 12.Sr. PS to CS 13.Sr. PS to NA(i/c) 14.Sr. PS to CSS (i/c) Page5of6Annexure A A. Bilateral Agreements for Mutual recognition of CoCs (i.e. India will recognize foreign country’s certificates and that foreign country will recognize Indian certificates of seafarers). Valid unless terminated 1. Malaysia -2001 2. UAE- 25.01.2017 Five years extendable to successive period of 5 years. 3. South Korea- Five years extendable to 10.04.2018 successive period of 5 years 4. Sweden – 02.12.2019 Full Time 5. UK – 21.07.2022 Five years unless terminated withasixmonthspriorwritten notice. 6. Iran- 21.08.2022 Valid unless terminated B. In addition, Indian Seafarers holding COC, COP & Modular course certificates issued by Singapore/ Australia/ New Zealand/ Canada and Ireland may be accepted for recruitment if the certificates were obtained by attending training in these countries. The authenticity of certificates issued by these countries should be verified online from the respective MaritimeAdministration prior to engagement of seafarers. ************************ Page6of6