In a move to curb malpractices in recruitment and prevent seafarers from getting duped or abandoned at sea, India has restricted ship owners from employing Indian seafarers holding certificates of competency (CoC) that are not recognised by India.
According to a circular issued by India’s Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) on July 18, seafarers engaged as officers or engineers on 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 the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW Convention).
Fraudulent agents have been offering ‘package’ of delivering course certificates issued by institutes that were not approved by the Directorate General of Shipping, government of India, and the foreign Certificates of Competency (CoCs) and Certificate of Proficiency (CoP) without any course being conducted.
The inquiry had revealed that these maritime institutes did not even exist at the stated addresses.
The regulator said it 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.
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.
Furthermore, these seafarers have been lured by authorised as well as unauthorised Recruitment and Placement Service License (RPSL) agencies to take up assignments on foreign flagged ships without adequate scrutiny of the “fraudulent certificates” issued to them.
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.
In its circular the DGS said 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 the STCW Convention.
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.
The authenticity of CoCs, CoPs, and course certificates must be verified through the Directorate’s official website, the regulator said.
Seafarers must be engaged in capacity commensurate to their qualifications and must obtain the necessary flag endorsements in accordance with the STCW Convention prior being deployed on ships.
Failure to comply with these directions may attract penal action under the applicable provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act and the MS-RPSL Rules, the DGS wrote in the circular.
“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,” DGS added.
DGS also warned that all stakeholders, including shipowners, ship managers, RPSL agencies and Maritime Training Institutes approved by the Directorate General of Shipping, are required to take “serious note of these instructions.”
