The Directorate General of Shipping under Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways has issued DGS Order No 17 dated 20^th June 2022 detailing 16 transition schemes for Indian Navy Personnel to Merchant Navy. These transition schemes have been drawn after a detailed discussion with Indian Navy. 

These Schemes enable smooth transition of the retiring Indian Navy Personnel into Merchant Navy by acquiring necessary certification to work on Merchant Ships in accordance with the Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping Convention of International Maritime Organisation.

To implement these schemes, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, AVSM, NM, Chief of Personnel on behalf of Indian Navy and Shri Amitabh Kumar, Director General of Shipping, on behalf of Directorate General of Shipping, Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways, Govt. of India.

Some of the key highlights of the transition schemes are:

• It caters for transition of personnel involved in Engine Room work on Naval Ships that is from rating to artificers to Engineers and also provides option for those working on electrical duties as well as mechanical engine duties.
• It caters for equivalent transition with minimum bridge courses, sea-service & examination of those who during their tenure with Indian Navy have reached a certain position but were unable to gain step by step STCW Certification.
• It further provides various options to Indian Navy Personnel from NCV Ship to Foreign Going Ships certification.
• It also caters for step by step STCW Certification right from Officer in-charge of an engineering branch to second engineer to Chief Engineer of a merchant ship to be gained by an Indian Navy personnel as he progresses in his career in Indian Navy. This helps when a Naval engineering personnel leaves Indian Navy only after a few years of service, yet the necessary STCW Certification facilitates his smooth transition to merchant navy.
• It smoothens the process of Mechanical Artificers to become Chief Engineer of Merchant Ships operating in Near Coast Area and with propulsion power less than 3000 KW.
• It allows for Electrical Engineers and Electrical Artificers to become Electro-technical officers of Merchant ships with respective bridging courses. 
• Specialist executive branch officers of the Indian navy to obtain Certificate of Competency as Officer in charge of navigational watch on ships of 500 gross tonnage or more (i.e. 2^nd Mate (FG/NCV)), Chief Mate and Master (Foreign going and Near coastal voyages) of a merchant navy vessels. 
• Indian navy executive branch officer to obtain Certificate of competency as “Officer in charge of navigational watch on ships of 500 gross
• The radio officers of the Indian navy can obtain certificate of competency as General radio operators of Merchant navy vessels. The Indian navy deck sailors can transit to merchant navy deck ratings forming part of a navigational watch. Indian navy Chefs to Certified merchant navy cooks. 

The scheme envisages acceptance of training given by the Indian Navy to its officers and ratings and the sea service experience on Indian Naval or cargo ships on the basis of a certificate issued by the Indian Navy.

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MJPS

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