The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has launched a verification drive to examine foreign‑issued certificates held by Indian seafarers, aiming to curb fraudulent credentials and safeguard genuine employment in the maritime industry.
The initiative follows a July 18 order from the DGS restricting Indian shipowners from hiring seafarers with Certificates of Competency (CoC) and Certificates of Proficiency (CoP) issued by certain Central American nations, including Honduras and Panama. The directive has drawn protests from seafarer unions and prompted a writ petition in the Bombay High Court.
Data collected by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) from registered recruitment agencies shows that about 3,800 Indian seafarers hold certificates from maritime authorities without a mutual recognition agreement with India. Nearly 2,000 of these are officer‑level certificates, with around 80% reportedly issued by Honduras.
In a new directive issued on Tuesday, the DGS instructed all affected seafarers to submit their full training and certification records. “If the documents are verified as genuine and comply with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), the seafarers will be allowed to join vessels immediately,” the order said. “If not, the matter will be referred to the respective maritime administration for cancellation of the CoCs and CoPs.”
The July 18 directive was intended to curb irregularities in the recruitment process and safeguard Indian seafarers from being duped or abandoned. Investigations revealed that some unapproved entities had issued fraudulent CoCs, enabling even junior seafarers or ratings to falsely claim ranks as high as captain or chief officer.
The verification drive is being seen as a balancing act by the DGS — aiming to uphold international standards while addressing legitimate concerns raised by Indian seafarers affected by the new restrictions.
