DG Shipping

The Directorate General of Shipping is an office attached to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, dealing with all the executive matters relating to merchant shipping. In 1947, the government announced the National Policy on Shipping, aiming at the complete development of the industry. Initially, the Ministry of Commerce dealt with the subject of shipping till 1949. 

Subsequently, it was shifted to the Ministry of Transport and Shipping in 1951. The government felt the requirement of a centralised Administrative organisation to accelerate the developmental efforts relating to shipping. Thus, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) was established in September 1949, with its Headquarters at Bombay (currently Mumbai).  

Matters Regulated by DG Shipping

The Directorate General (DG) shipping deals with all matters concerning the following: 

• Maritime Administration. 
• Maritime education and training. 
• Development of the shipping industry. 
• Implementation of shipping legislation and policy to ensure the safety of ships and life at sea.
• Prevention of marine pollution. 
• Promotion of maritime training and education in coordination with the International Maritime Organisation. 
• Regulation of welfare and employment of seamen.
• Augmentation of shipping tonnage. 
• Development of coastal shipping. 
• Examination and certification of Merchant Navy Officers. 
• Control and supervision of the allied departments and officers under its administrative jurisdiction.

Services on the DG Shipping Portal

The DG shipping portal/website is the official website of DG Shipping. This website provides various services to the seafarers, which are as follows:

Acts and Rules 

The ‘Acts and Rules’ tab on the homepage of the DG Shipping website contains the various acts and rules related to shipping and vessels.  

Shipping Notices

Through the ‘Shipping Notices’ tab on the homepage, the DGS orders, circulars and MS notices can be searched and accessed by selecting the wing, branch and year and typing the subject. An individual can also view the office orders and general letters under this tab.

Shipping Services

The ‘Shipping’ tab on the homepage provides the services to register ships, view the ‘Annual Report on Port State Control and Flag State Implementation’, information on causality investigation and Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) national data centre.

Seafarers

The ‘Seafarers’ tab on the homepage provides information on welfare measures and welfare schemes for the seafarers, grievance redressal, Seafarers Identity Document (SID), Maritime Labour Convention, the medical standards for Indian seafarers and other related information to the seafarers and stakeholders.

Exit Exam

The online exit examination enables seafarers to take examinations from home. The seafarers, who are undertaking training in various Maritime Training Institutes under the DGS, can now appear in the exam from their homes through the ‘Exit Exam’ tab on the homepage. 

When clicked on the exit exam tab on the homepage, it will open another page containing the list of courses for exams, e-learning, digital certificate and attendance tabs to enable the seafarers to access the course and take the exams. 

Shipping Manual

The ‘Shipping Manual’ option under the ‘Menu’ tab on the homepage contains all the chapters of the shipping manual, which anyone can view by clicking on the respective chapter.

CDC Checker

CDC means the Continuous  Discharge Certificate-cum-Seafarer’s Identity Document. Individuals can check their CDC by clicking on the ‘CDC Checker’ option under the ‘Menu’ tab of the DG shipping portal. To view the CDC, a seafarer needs to click on the CDC checker option, enter the CDC number and date of birth and click on the ‘View Details’ button.

COC Checker

An individual can check the Certificate of Competency (COC) issued under STCW (International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) Regulation by clicking on the ‘COC Checker’ option under the ‘Menu’ tab of the DG shipping portal. To view the COC, a seafarer needs to click on the COC checker option, enter the INDoS (Indian National Database Of Seafarers) number and date of birth and click on the ‘Search’ button.

INDoS/COP Checker

An individual can check the Certificate of Proficiency (COP) by clicking on the ‘INDoS/COP Checker’ option under the ‘Menu’ tab of the DG shipping portal. After clicking on the INDoS/COP checker option, a seafarer needs to select the respective COP, enter the INDoS number, date of birth and click on the ‘Search’ button to view the COP. 

e-Pass Checker

An individual can search and view the details of an e-pass by clicking on the ‘e-pass Checker’ option under the ‘Menu’ tab of the DG shipping portal, enter the e-pass number and click on the ‘Search’ button.

COE Checker

A seafarer can check the Certificate of Endorsement (COE) by clicking on the ‘COE Checker’ option under the ‘Menu’ tab of the DG shipping portal, entering the INDoS number and date of birth, and clicking on the ‘Search’ button to view the COE. 

RPS Agencies

The ‘RPS Agencies’ option under the ‘Menu’ tab of the homepage contains the list of agents having Licence Recruitment and Placement Services (RPS). Through this option, an individual can view the details of the valid and invalid RPSL (Recruitment and Placement Services Licence).  

Courses on the DG Shipping Portal

The DG Shipping has introduced an online learning platform for the officers preparing for their competency exams and has also added E-Learning for STCW modular courses. Through the ‘E-Learning’ tab on the DG shipping portal, officers can access the competency courses and STCW modular courses. 

The competency courses open the DGS E-Learning portal, where the seafarers can register by clicking the ‘Register Now’ button on the homepage. They can register by entering their INDoS number, personal details, selecting the course and clicking on the ‘Submit’ button. After registering on the DGS E-Learning portal, a seafarer can attend the ‘Marine Engineering Officers’ and ‘Deck Officers’ courses and examinations.

The modular courses open the DGS E-Learning STCW portal. The officers can enrol in the basic modular courses, advanced modular courses, refresher and updating courses, and additional STCW courses on this portal.

The officers can enrol to the courses on the DGS E-Learning STCW portal by clicking on the ‘Enroll Now’ button on the page, entering the INDoS number, date of birth, selecting the course name and clicking on the ‘Verify’ button. After enrolling, the officers can take the course and the examinations on the portal.

Maritime Training on the DG Shipping Portal

The ‘Maritime Training’ tab on the DG Shipping portal facilitates and gives access to the following services to the seafarers:

• Admission in Maritime Training Institute (MTI) – The seafarers can search and apply for registration for admission for a course in the Maritime Training Institute approved by DGS by clicking on this option.
• Training manual – This option contains the training manual having information about the Maritime Training Institutes, courses, placement, etc.
• Training guidelines – This option contains all the guidelines for DGS approved maritime courses. 
• Training circulars – This option contains all the circulars concerning maritime training courses.
• Approved training institutes – This option opens the approved maritime training institutes in India.
• List of approved course – This option opens the list of approved courses, their duration and the institutes that offer the training for the respective course.
• List of all faculties – This option opens the list of facilities, the institutions where they serve as faculty and the type of faculty.
• TSTA qualified Assessors – This option opens the list of qualified trainers and assessors for the ‘Train the Simulator Trainer and Assessor (TSTA) Course’.
• Authorized ROs for CIP of MTIs – This option contains the name and address of the list of Recognised Organisations (ROs) authorised for the purpose of Comprehensive Inspection Programme (CIP).
• CIP Report – This option opens the list containing the CIP grade and inspection date of MIT’s.
• Processing Fees for DGS Approved Courses – This option opens the list containing the fees for all the courses.
• Withdrawal of Courses – MTI’s – This option opens the circular containing the list of courses that have been withdrawn in a particular institute.