Parliament Question: Promotion of Skill Development in the Maritime Sector

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1358 ANSWERED ON 27.07.2026 PROMOTION OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN THE MARITIME SECTOR 1358 SHRI RAJMOHAN UNNITHAN: Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government proposes to introduce specialised skill development programmes for employment in the merchant navy, logistics and port sectors; (b) the number of maritime skill centres functioning in the country; (c) whether coastal districts, including Kasaragod, have been covered under such programmes; (d) if so, the details thereof and the measures taken to improve employment opportunities for coastal youth? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) to (d): Under the Government of India’s Skill India Mission (SIM), the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) delivers skill, re-skill and up- skill training through an extensive network of skill development centres/institutes under various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), to all the sections of the society across the country including Kasaragod. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future-ready, equipped with industry-relevant skills, including for the maritime sector. Some of the initiatives taken to promote skilling in the maritime sector include: i. Under PMKVY, training is imparted in logistics and maritime-related job roles such as Documentation Assistant, Consignment Booking Assistant, Consignment Tracking Executive, Courier Delivery Executive, Signalman Port Operation, Vessel Operator Grade- 1, Marine Capture Fisherman and Protective & Marine Painter, among others. In Kasaragod district of Kerala, 240 candidates have been trained/oriented under PMKVY, out of which 197 candidates are certified. ii. The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has approved 171 Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs) in India. The employment of seafarers on Indian or Foreign Ships depends on their training, assessment and certification in accordance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW Convention) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the seafarers, to which India is a signatory. iii. The DGS has also issued a list of approved maritime training courses. All these courses are to be in line with the Model Course issued by the IMO and the STCW Convention, 2010. The Training, Examination and Assessment Programme (TEAP) manual has also been issued by the DGS, providing necessary guidelines and details of the trainingcourses, seagoing services and examination. Besides these, there is a common course for faculties of the Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs), namely Vertical Integration Course for Trainers. iv. Additionally, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has initiated various steps for promoting skill development, including for coastal youth in the ports, shipping, and waterways sector by strengthening maritime education and training, upgrading the curriculum of maritime institutes, and enhancing industry-oriented skill programmes in the port sector and logistics. These efforts aim to create a globally competitive, skilled workforce to support India's maritime growth. Some of these steps are as under: a. 11 shipyards have signed MoUs with 34 ITIs across 8 coastal States towards implementation of On Job Training (OJT) of 150 hours. b. Training of Trainers (ToT) program has been implemented at 2 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in West Bengal by Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding (CEMS). c. A preliminary Skill Gap Study has been completed across 9 shipyards. d. Indian Ship Technology Centre (ISTC) has been established as a Section 8 company to facilitate skilling. e. A Plan of Implementation (PoI) has been signed between MoPSW and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for a skill development project in the shipbuilding sector. Government has taken several measures to improve employment opportunities for youth, including those from coastal areas that include (i) Providing industry-aligned skilling through PMKVY and other skill development initiatives (ii) Offering training in diverse sectors including logistics, port operations, warehousing, supply chain management and marine-related job roles (iii) Aligning courses with National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) based Qualification Packs developed in consultation with industry (iv) Promoting Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for workers possessing existing skills (v) Encouraging linkage of trained candidates with employment opportunities through industry partnerships and placement facilitation and others. These initiatives aim to enhance the employability of youth in coastal regions and support manpower requirements in maritime, logistics and allied sectors. *****