As per latest government data, the number of Indian seafarers employed on ships worldwide increased by an unprecedented 42.3 per cent in just four years between 2013 and 2017.

“The seafarers employed on ships worldwide increased from 108446 in 2013 to 154349 in 2017. India now provides 9.35 per cent of the global seafarers and ranks third in the list of the largest seafarer supplying nation to the world maritime industry,” said a released by the Union Shipping Ministry.

Union Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways Mansukh Mandaviya stated that the number of trained active seafarers in India currently stands at 1.54 lakh and 4,700 of them are women. He also added that currently 810 women are employed in the shipping sector.

Better By Reforms

As per the PIB report, this increase has been aided by various government reforms.

Since January 2018, the Directorate of Shipping began issuing Indian Continuous Certificate of Discharge (CDC) to seafarers who have completed five year Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) courses. Earlier many Indians held CDC of other flags like Panama, Liberia, etc.

Earlier the government only used to issue Indian CDC’s to those seafareres who had completed these long during pre-sea courses issued by Indian authorities.

“The ban on opening of the new pre-sea and post-sea institutes has been lifted and various requirements for approval of courses also delinked. This has considerably helped in opening of the new maritime training institutes. This shall definitely assist in further increasing the number of Indian seafarers in global market,” the release added.

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