The Hindu Business Line : Norms tightened for maritime institutes

The details
There are about 130 training institutes sprinkled all over the country, most of which do not have adequate infrastructure facilities.
Currently, most of the training is on-shore, while the Government order insists on mandatory off-shore or sea training.

Mumbai , Dec. 25

The Government has ordered maritime training institutes to tie up with shipping companies for on-board training, ahead of launching maritime courses. Also, the institutes have been barred from levying fresh fees or a premium for offering sea-time training.

In a recent circular, the Director-General of Shipping has set a June 2007 deadline for theinstitutes to finalise the tie-ups, failing which their licences will be scrapped.

There are about 130 training institutes sprinkled all over the country, most of which do not have adequate infrastructure facilities, leave alone provision for sea-time training.

Currently , most of the training is on-shore, while the Government order insists on mandatory off-shore or sea training.

Industry analysts feel the move may compel many of them to down shutters, as Indian shipping companies will not be able to absorb most of the trainee officers owing to capacity constraints.

The circular has pointed out, "it is a matter of concern for the maritime administration that there is a very large and rapidly growing backlog of trainee officers who have completed their pre-sea courses but are unable to get their certificates because of their inability to fulfil their sea-time training that is mandatory."

So far, the DG-S has been giving approvals to training institutes to start maritime courses or increase their intake on the understanding that the institutes would "exert themselves to make tie-up arrangements with shipping companies or ship manning companies registered with DG-S." But, the growing backlog of trainees is evidence that such arrangements were not in place and the trainees are left to fend for themselves, sources said.

Deadline

In this context, the DG-S has set the deadline for training institutes to ink tie-ups or MoUs with shipping companies or ship-manning agents, which should be a legally binding agreement with specified commitment on sea-time berths. "On the basis of the sea-time berths secured, the training institute will inform the DG-S every year of the number of candidates they would enrol for each course, against their sanctioned intake. In case the Directorate does not receive this documentation from an institute by April 30 each year, it will be presumed that the tie-up has not been arranged and approval to enrol any student will stand automatically withdrawn," the circular said.

"In the event of any institute enrolling students after June 30, 2007 in excess of its ability to provide sea-time berths or is unable to ensure sea-time training to its students, its approvals will be suspended forthwith," the circular added. It is going to be tough for institutes, as shipping companies have made it clear that there was a "physical constraint" on board their vessels to accommodate more than one trainee officer.

"So far, since the tonnage tax was introduced, shipping companies had offered more than one lakh mandays of training on board their vessels," an industry source pointed out.

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