The unemployment problem in Merchant Navy at entry level is already in its 3rd year. With absolutely no action taken by the authorities to control the situation the problem is only poised to deteriorate. Here we bring you collection of four letters sent to the DGS and other authorities over past few months by Senior Marine Consultant Mr. S. Govindarajan. None of these letters have received any response from the authorities they were addressed to.
"...because I am you" initiative does not necessarily subscribe to all the views/figures expressed in these letters. These are personal opinions of Mr. Govindarajan and is being shared on our platform with his consent to reach a larger audience and particularly make the aspirants aware of the profession they wish to join. Readers are requested to ratiocinate before believing any of our posts !
"...because I am you" initiative does not necessarily subscribe to all the views/figures expressed in these letters. These are personal opinions of Mr. Govindarajan and is being shared on our platform with his consent to reach a larger audience and particularly make the aspirants aware of the profession they wish to join. Readers are requested to ratiocinate before believing any of our posts !
From: S GOVINDARAJAN [mailto:spear_226@yahoo.co.in]
Sent:21 September 2011 15:32
To: 'gkvasan@sansad.nic.in'
Subject: Absence of employment opportunities for new aspinrants n merchant shipping
Sent:
To: 'gkvasan@sansad.nic.in'
Subject: Absence of employment opportunities for new aspinrants n merchant shipping
Thiru. G.K.Vasan
The Honourable Minister of Shipping
Dear Honourable Minister Thiru Vasan,
I am marine Chief engineer having associated with the
shipping industry for last 42 years in various capacities. The last 12
years I had devoted towards imparting training to both post sea and pre-sea
categories of students.
I wish to bring the following matters of concern to your
respected Shipping Ministry to Govt. of India, to enable necessary steps
from the Government of India level, to bring relief and hope to a large
number of qualified marine graduates (nautical & marine engineering)
who are being denied opportunities to sail on board for fulfilling the
sea time requirements for taking up even the 1st level of
certificate of competency examinations.
I am deeply saddened with the present state of affairs
when successful marine students coming out of the DGS approved
institutions are unable find their feet on ships for furthering their career
path. The result is one of frustration for these young lots and seen as
great opportunity for unscrupulous agents /touts to whom the young aspirants
fall prey. Lot of parents have called me over
phone and in person to express their sorrow and dismay over their ward’s
future.
In my recent capacity as the Director of Maritime Studies,
School of Maritime Studies, Vels University, I made efforts to contact many
shipping companies with our invitation for taking up campus placement and as
well as post campus interviews for the boys for selection to go to sea.
The response received was quite inadequate to promise placement for all the
nautical and marine engineering students. The reasons attributed for
inability from some shipping companies is as follows:
1.
The shipping business is low and
their fleet strength is much reduced.
2.
Quite a number of their managed
ships have shifted over to other nationals, as better choice.
3.
Some companies are constrained to
absorb the entire lot of students passing out of DMET/MERI, due to their
obligation to satisfy DG Shipping/IMU.
4.
Many of the companies having their
own training institute started, have enough supplies of cadets of both
streams.
5.
Quite many companies have said
that they are full up as selected cadets are themselves in long waiting list
for many months, not justifying new recruitments
6.
Some Indian companies are unable
to accommodate trainee cadets, for want of life boat capacity.
It is quite a heart-breaking experience hearing every day
from anxious cadets denied even an opportunity for the fairness of personal
interview in shipping companies. Students after spending a large sum (either
through parents selling their properties or burdensome loans with EMI dues
threatening them) towards their education in private training Institutes find
themselves useless, redundant, unwelcome even at their entry level to the
shipping Industry. Their experiences are contrary to the attractive
media adverts, from training Institutes, brain washing the new aspirants with
false promises about shaping up their dream career in shipping to reality, if
only they graduate through their Institutes. Much is done to enforce a
life of regimentation and discipline in the marine training institutes, without
a positive promise of their future assured job on ships.
I am of the view that It is wrong on the part of the DGS
Administration to expect the training Institutes to provide shipboard slots,
while it is not their specialised area. If it was the DGS administration
who opened up the gates of training through private training Institutes, it is
then the DGS responsibility to provide the necessary minimum shipboard training
slots for all students, duly admitted under the DGS approved schemes . When the
private training institutes were given approval for conducting the graduate
courses in maritime education, DGS should have ensured that MASSA/FOSM A
oriented and all other Indian shipping companies will only converge their tie
up with definite intake from DGS approved training institutes, unified with
standards stipulated by DGS. On the other hand, DGS continued granting
approvals to the shipping companies opening up their own pre-sea training
centres, ignoring already approved training centres. Well if this is
considered a wiser step, then why DGS allowed private training Institutes not
meeting with standards expected by shipping companies?
I am of the opinion that the Onus heavily rests only on the
DGS Administration and Shipping Ministry of Govt. of India to immediately
respond to the sorry plight of unemployed young and energetic marine graduates,
looking up for senior responsible officials to pave way to their future.
I wish to point out at this juncture, Your respected
Ministry should not spare any effort to most urgently acquire at
least ten training ships, catering for the necessary minimum on board training
for the waiting nautical and engineering cadets, throwing no financial burden
on these cadets, who have already heavily incurred expenditure towards their
maritime education.
To rationalise maritime education, I am of the firm opinion
that the 3 years degree stream of BSc (Nautical studies) and 4 years Degree
stream of BE marine engineering should be abolished or at least suspended for a
period of time, till such time all backlogs are cleared for marine graduates
facing uncertain future. To assist the private training Institutes to
make effective use of their infrastructures, BE degree approvals could be
converted towards more seats of intake of graduate engineers from different
fields of specialisation and BSc nautical studies limited short pre-sea
training followed by 3 years cadet ship (distant learning) like what used
to be practised in the past years.
I urge your strong leadership to consider the contents of my
appeal most seriously in favour of anxiously awaiting cadets of both nautical
and engineering streams. In my opinion, there is an atmosphere calling
for urgent steps likened to an emergent situation of hostage of a ship
falling into the hands of pirates. How can the plight of disappointed
marine graduates any different from piracy hostages, resulted as an
outcome of rash decisions made by our Shipping Administration of our nation?
Warm regards
Yours Sincerely
S.Govindarajan
Marine Consultant
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