In a major regulatory move aimed at protecting Indian seafarers and curbing fraudulent practices in maritime recruitment, India’s Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has banned the employment of Indian crew members holding unrecognized Certificates of Competency (CoCs).
The decision comes amid growing concerns over fake certification schemes, where unscrupulous agents have been offering ‘packages’ including training certificates and foreign-issued CoCs without conducting any actual training. Investigations have revealed that some of the maritime institutes involved did not even exist at their stated locations.
In a circular issued on July 18, the DGS mandated that Indian officers and engineers working aboard foreign-flagged ships must hold valid CoCs issued either by the Government of India or by a maritime authority recognized by India through mutual agreements under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978.
The regulator also warned that able-bodied seafarers (ABs), watchkeeping ratings, and other crew members must possess Certificates of Proficiency (CoPs) issued or recognized by India or by similarly approved foreign maritime administrations.
“All maritime training under the STCW Convention must be conducted only through DGS-approved training institutes,” the circular stated. “No Indian entity is permitted to issue STCW training certificates without prior approval from the Directorate.”
Seafarers are required to be employed only in roles aligned with their certified qualifications and must obtain flag-state endorsements before being deployed on ships. The DGS stressed that the authenticity of CoCs, CoPs, and training certificates must be verified through its official website.
The crackdown follows a series of complaints involving seafarers duped by both authorized and unauthorized Recruitment and Placement Service License (RPSL) agencies, who lured candidates into accepting positions on foreign vessels using fake or substandard certificates.
In response, the DGS has initiated a number of actions, including criminal complaints, confiscation of fraudulent certificates, and communication with foreign authorities to cancel such documents.
The circular carries strong warnings for violators. Seafarers found with fraudulent certificates will face a minimum two-year ban from sailing, immediate suspension of their Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC), and blocking of their INDoS number in the national maritime database.
The Directorate also called on all stakeholders—shipowners, ship managers, RPSL agencies, and DGS-approved Maritime Training Institutes—to take the directive seriously and ensure full compliance.
