Ships that carry goods, people or render services of a non military nature constitute the merchant navy. Merchant Navy touches every body’s life in one way or other. Material for building a house may have been brought by a bulk carrier, the fuel used in your vehicle was brought by a tanker and fruits in the market from different countries were brought in a refrigerated container.

Merchant Navy is a very lucrative career, some of the many attractions of this profession are listed below:-

• High income (Tax Free)
• Independence and responsibility at a young age
• Quick promotions
• No expenses whilst on board (High class accommodation and cuisine)
• Travel around the globe and experience the world
• Adventure – No two days on the ship are the same
• Long Vacations – Time to pursue your hobbies
• Future opportunities to pursue a career ashore

If you are adventurous person who likes to be outdoors and is not interested in a monotonous 9-5 job, then Merchant Navy is the best career option for you.

A student who passes his/her 10+2 exams and takes up any stream for further studies spends at least another 4 years in college before becoming eligible for a job in the particular stream. Whereas a candidate who joins Merchant Navy, has to undergo only 1 year of training at an approved institute and then starts earning whilst doing the onboard training. Moreover the stipend received during the training period itself is higher than the starting salaries in many career streams ashore.

At the age of 21 when a normal student graduates from any stream and starts looking for a job, the candidate who has joined Merchant Navy has already completed his/her training and starts working as an officer on board the ship and earns wages to the tune of more than 1 Lakh rupees per month.

There are various types of ships but the main job of a ship is to transport goods or people from one place to another. Ships are responsible for transporting 96% of goods around the world and is the most important service helping to keep the wheels of the global economy moving smoothly. Shipping is a vital link in world trade and today it is one of the booming sectors of the industry. If you join the merchant navy you could choose to be a navigating officer (also known as a deck officer) or an engineering officer.

The time it takes to become a captain in the Merchant Navy varies, but it typically requires several years of experience and progression through various ranks.

To become a captain of a ship in the Merchant Navy, you need to gain the necessary qualifications, experience, and certifications, along with demonstrating strong leadership skills.

The salary of a captain in the Merchant Navy can vary depending on factors such as the type and size of the vessel, years of experience, and the shipping company, but it is generally a lucrative and well-rewarded position.

Yes, it is possible but you will have to ensure your certificates are valid at the time of re-joining and you may also require undergoing some refresher training. Besides, there are possibilities that you will be offered a demoted rank for some time.

Duration would be 12 months during training

At this stage, the top 4 senior officers (Master, C/O, C/E, 2/E) are allowed to carry family onboard

Yes, girls are eligible for joining the merchant navy. Some institute  not take admission of girls but We take both girls and boys admission  to join merchant navy

No, you will not be entitled to salary when you are on leave. During the onboard training period, the trainees are paid stipend and not salary

A Deck Cadet/Engine Cadet can become a Master/Chief Engineer in eight to ten years provided he appears and passes all his promotion examinations in time and also completes the necessary Sea-time and Post Sea Courses on time

As per Seamen’s Employment Office Order the retirement age of the person from seafaring profession is 60 yrs. This rule also provided discretion to the Director, Seamen’s Employment Office, to permit the employment of seamen over 60 years of age, but not exceeding 65, provided the ship owner accepted the engagement of the seaman and the prescribed medical authority declared him ‘Fit’, before engagement.

It depends but if you stop sailing after becoming a Master or a Chief Engineer, there will be many opportunities at the shore for Marine Superintendent, Technical Superintendent, Manning Superintendent, Vetting Superintendent, Port Pilot or Harbor Master, Conservator of Ports, etc

Merchant Navy is one of the safest and most economical mediums for transportation. Ships are built to operate in the safest way but safety depends on the human being who operates the ship. The compensation varies from type and extent of injury but for death, compensation is around the US $80,000.

In the majority of countries, seafarers are issued a special pass to go ashore when the ship is in port. In some countries such as America, you will need a visa to go ashore

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO)

The written test paper consists of 50 questions and each question carries 2 marks. The duration of the test is 2 hours. Test paper comprises of questions from the following subjects:

• Mathematics
• Chemistry
• Logic
• Physics
• English

The conduct of final examination for the GP Ratings is outsourced by the DG Shipping to the“Board of Examination for Seafarers Trust” based at Navi Mumbai. The Examination is held in three parts (Oral. Practical and Written), the Trainees have to secure a minimum of 60% in each part to be declared a pass in the examinations.

Yes, you will have to pay for the medical test. The medical test has to be carried out only by a DG Shipping Approved Doctor

The loan process will be your responsibility and you will have to choose the bank that will be willing to give you the loan. We will assist you in providing letters to assist in the loan process

On successful completion of training the trainee is provided the following certificates and documents:

• Pre-Sea Training Certificate
• Personal Survival Techniques
• Personal Safety and Social Responsibility
• Elementary First Aid
• Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting
• Oil Tanker Familiarization (Optional)
• Continuous Discharge Certificate (C.D.C)

The pay and perks depend upon the type of the ship, experience of an individual. At the starting level, a rating may get 200 – 600 US $. The wage structure also varies from company to company

These are the officers who are qualified in Marine Engineering. They join as 5th Engineer and step by step, get promoted to 4th, 3rd, 2nd and Chief Engineer, subject to their passing the competency exams and performance onboard the ship. The Engineering department in addition to looking after the main engines is also responsible for associated equipment like power generation equipment, cargo pumps and air – conditioning etc. The Chief Engineer is overall in charge of technical wing on board ship.

There are three categories of ratings- deck, engine room and saloon (Catering). Deck rating is responsible for cargo handling, mooring / unmooring and general maintenance of the ship. Similarly the engine room ratings assist the engineering officers in maintenance and operation of engines and associated equipment. The catering crew consists of Steward / Cooks and as the name suggests, they look after the catering and the house keeping

In the modern day shipping with reduced manpower, thrust has come on combined deck and engine rating. For this DG Shipping has made it compulsory to run an integrated course for deck and engine ratings. The course is named as General Purpose Rating (G.P Rating). As per the directives of D.G. Shipping, separate deck and engine rating courses have been abolished with effect from 01st April 2003. G.P. Rating course is now mandatory for all aspirants wanting to join sea as deck or engine rating.

C.D.C. means a Continuous Discharge Certificate. It is also the Seafarer’s Identity Document. The CDC is issued by the Shipping Master at Mumbai / Kolkata / Chennai to the eligible candidates. All candidates completing any of the DG Shipping approved pre sea courses shall be eligible for the issuance of CDC. The CDC forms for such candidates shall be forwarded through their respective training Institute.

Indos means Indian National Database Of Seafarers. It is a computerized national database for quick reference by statutory authorities such as Flag State, Port State, Immigration and Employers etc. To prevent fraudulent issue of certificates. The database will include address, photographs, signature & telephone etc. Of the individual. The indos No. Consist of eight alphanumeric characters. Henceforth, no seafarer with out indos No. Will be admitted to any course other than those more than three month pre-sea training course.

The advantage to seafarer will be that he would not need to carry original documents while training ashore. For eg. Presently, a second mate has to carry all his original documents. Once he has the indos certificate, he would not have to produce original document for admission to course anywhere in India. Further, in case of loss of original documents, indos will help in getting re-issue of duplicate certificates. Not withstanding indos, seafarers will still need to carry original documents while serving on board ship.

No, the merchant navy is not related to defence services. A merchant navy officer works in the commercial sector of the maritime industry. They perform the shipping of cargo. The people across sea routes aboard cargo ships, tankers and cruise liners.

Merchant navy has no restrictions on tattoos and piercings. In fact, sailors are the pioneers of nautical tattoo culture. However, since the maritime academies implement high disciplinary standards and expect officers like qualities, they will be less than friendly to funky piercings and offensive tattoos.

A merchant navy officer can take his/her family on board ship only if allowed by the company or when all the norms of the company are complied with. Here “family” for a married person means only the wife and kids and not parents.

The merchant Navy 6-month course is called the GP Rating. It stands for General Purpose Rating and is a 6-months course. After completion of the course, candidates may join Merchant Navy ships as Deck or engine crew

The Merchant navy is a contractual job. Indian navy is a permanent job. The seafarers are recruited based on year-round contracts with regular working hours with the no

Use of alcohol, tobacco, and other illegal drugs are strictly prohibited. Possession of mobile phones by any trainee is also strictly prohibited

Whether the Merchant Navy is better than traditional engineering depends on individual preferences, career goals, and lifestyle choices.

• Merchant Navy offers high salaries, opportunities to travel globally, and tax benefits but requires long periods away from home and a physically demanding lifestyle.
• Engineering (in fields like mechanical, civil, or IT) provides stable onshore jobs, diverse career options, and work-life balance but may have slower salary growth compared to the Merchant Navy.

If you prefer adventure, high earnings, and a dynamic career at sea, the Merchant Navy may be a better choice. If you value stability, family time, and long-term growth, a career in engineering might be more suitable.

The most significant benefit of working in the merchant navy is that all officers and crew members onboard receive free meals and lodging

The most enjoyable part of the job Merchant Navy career is not only monetarily rewarding but also satisfying and quite challenging.

There is no specific provision of exemption or taxation under Income Tax Act for ‘Seafarer’ or ‘Merchant Navy’. In general terms, a Seafarer or Merchant Navy Worker is someone who works or travels on a boat or ship on the sea

In one you are serving the country and in the other you are serving for money and money alone. If money is your first priority then go for merchant Navy, or if you are a person who wishes to serve the nation, be adventurous, respected in society and still earn a good salary then go for the NDA

Merchant navy is both a government and private job. If you work for the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), you work as a government employee. Apart from SCI, the majority of other companies in this field are private entities.

Merchant Navy represents commercial marine services that consist of a fleet of ships that are used specifically for the purpose of commercial shipping, whereas Indian Navy refers to nations’ maritime military wing where the vessels/ships are solely for the purpose of national security.

There are a lot of reasons why the Merchant Navy is a career like no others. Some of them include the opportunity to work while you travel across the globe, getting high pay packages, obtaining tax exemptions, getting exposure to varied cultures, meeting people from different nationalities, and much more.

No, you cannot join merchant navy as an officer with colour blindness. The ability to distinguish colours is so important that both deck and engine department courses require candidates with no colour blindness.

College life in Maritime academies is definitely enjoyable. But if you are looking for the fun of roaming around in the cities, and late night parties then you might be disappointed. Pre-sea programs are fully residential courses with very professional training. The maritime academies implement and practice semi-military (or full) discipline and activities such as physical training, parade march, swimming, sports, boat rowing, etc. The fun and life will be limited to the college campus. It is possible to go out from college campus during certain specified days and time, however it cannot be certain and depends on the college. The degree of the discipline, rules and regulations vary according to academies.

No you don’t.  After academic pre – sea training, deck graduates join as Deck Cadets or Trainee Navigating Officers and Engine graduates join as Engine Cadets or Trainee Marine Engineer. Once they complete the required sea-time as a cadet they will be eligible to appear for the COC examinations conducted by MMD (in India). Upon completing the examination and receiving the Certificate of Competency, an individual is eligible to join as Deck/Engine officer onboard the ship.

Career growth largely depends upon an individual’s performance and hard work. Sometimes it also depends upon the company, as some companies encourage early promotions and some others give it sometime. Let’s say for a highly motivated individual with fair environment, it takes at least 8-10 years for a career growth from Deck/Engine Cadet to Master/Chief Engineer. New joiners should  be aware of the fact that different promotion levels requires appropriate shore based training and examinations to obtain Certificate of Competency(COC) for the required higher rank. Additionally, a routine up gradation of certain other advanced courses are also necessary.

Money  Everyone knows that Merchant Navy people are rich. The initial growth that can be seen in this profession can hardly be seen anywhere, where an 18 years old deck cadet is earning around Rs 25000 per month and the same person at 22 years is earning around 1.5 lakhs per month

SIYARAM’S MARITIME SERVICES (SMS) is introducing first step to sea career. It is the first institute in JAIPUR with this kind of vision, which is established & run by experienced merchant navy officers to prepare the candidates for all India entrance exam conducted by IMU (Indian Maritime University) and grooming them for extensive selection procedure for various shipping companies. SMS is creating awareness of this profession and committed to provide a proper guidance towards secure future and glories of sea, to the aspirants for merchant navy.

• To provide to Quality Education and Maritime Consultancy to Aspiring as well as Existing Marine Personnel.
• To create HR Solutions that benefits both, Maritime Professionals and Maritime Organisation.
• To promote the welfare of Seafarers and the Maritime Community.

Accordion Content

The lowest ranking personnel in the deck department. An ordinary seaman (OS) generally helps out with work that able seamen do.

A sea captain, ship’s captain, captain, master, or shipmaster, is a high-grade licensed mariner who holds ultimate command and responsibility of a merchant vessel.

A ship’s captain often doesn’t have the legal right to perform weddings at sea unless he is also a judge, minister, justice of the peace or a Notary Public

Chief / First engineer. 2nd engineer / First assistant engineer. 3rd engineer / Second assistant engineer. 4th engineer / Thirst assistant engineer.
…
For the Deck department, a general overview of the ranking system is:

• Chief officer/ mate.
• 2nd officer/mate.
• 3rd officer/mate.
• Deck cadet.

• The sea captain, also known as the master, is the highest rank in the merchant navy. The captain of a commercial ocean liner is the final authority of the ship. They are responsible for all the operations onboard. They are also in command of the vessel at all times and oversees the regular daily activities on board
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• Is merchant navy highest salary?
• Highest salary that a Merchant Navy can earn is ₹19.2 Lakhs per year(₹1.6L per month). How does Merchant Navy Salary in India change with experience? An Entry Level Merchant Navy with less than three years of experience earns an average salary of ₹9 Lakhs per yea