Cabinet nod for model pact on seafarers

Government on Wednesday approved a model pact with foreign countries that would also allow unilateral recognition of seafarers' competency certificates, thus easing the process for them to seek employment on ships under the flag of that country.

The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a model Memorandum of Understanding for unilateral and bilateral recognition of seafarers' certificates which could be signed by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) with its foreign counterparts after requisite approvals.

“Indian Seafarers, therefore, will be eligible to be placed on ships under the flag of that country for employment, thus leading to increased employment opportunities,” I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.

A unilateral MoU would allow the signatory country to grant recognition to certificates issued by the DGS to Indian seafarers, without seeking reciprocity from India.

A bilateral MoU would make the seafarers of both the countries eligible for employment on ships of either party based on the certificates so recognized, an official statement said.

A bilateral MoU will allow mutual recognition of maritime education and training, certificates of competency, endorsements, documentary evidence of training and medical fitness certificates issued to the seafarers who are citizens of the respective countries in accordance with the provisions of regulation 1/10 of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers.

India being a seafarer supplying the nation with a large pool of trained seafarers will stand to benefit from this.

The number of Indian seafarers employed on foreign ships is in excess of two lakh and is set to increase in the years to come.