Globalization of the world economy has given a big boost to this ancient system of transportation of man and material known as the Merchant Navy which is a commercial aspect of the shipping industry but sometimes misunderstood by the Navy i.e., the combatant forces of a country like India. It is a fleet composed of passenger vessels, cargo liners, tankers, carriers, as well as other special types of vehicles used to transport nearly every type of heavy material. The opening of the world markets has made Merchant Navy as the backbone of international trade, carrying cargo across the globe. Without the merchant navy, this sudden increase in import-export business would have ground to a halt. An increase in the operations of this water transportation service has aroused the need for trained personnel in various departments of the ship as well as offshore marine jobs and this has widened the scope for various career options in shipping companies in India and various overseas shipping companies. A merchant navy career is full of adventure and long voyages to exotic and obscure places. Besides this, the high salary and promising promotional opportunities make the career lucrative and exciting irrespective of the hard life and long absence from family and home.
The main merchant navy jobs to grab for the younger generation are for deck cadets, navigating officers, radio officers, and marine engineers who are usually employed by shipping companies in India and various overseas shipping companies, like shipping companies of the USA and shipping companies of Canada on a contractual basis usually for six to nine months duration. Earlier considered purely a men-dominated domain the Merchant Navy has opened up for young dynamic women too as they can also take up marine jobs as ship doctors and radio officers now.
In Merchant Navy, major tasks performed are in three basic areas of a ship i.e.,
- The Deck- The deck officers include the captain, chief officer, second officer, third officer, and other junior officers who work in this area of the ship.
- The Engine- One can work as the chief engineer, second engineer, third engineer, fourth engineer, electrical officer, and junior engineer in this part. and
- The Saloon Department provides career opportunities for kitchen, laundry, and other services
Aspirants wishing to enter the navigational and engineering fields of the Merchant Navy need to complete a bachelor's degree in Nautical Science or Marine engineering. The minimum eligibility for courses in Nautical science and Marine engineering is 10+2 or an equivalent examination with physics, chemistry, and mathematics.
He should also pass a medical fitness test for sea service under standard norms and with eyesight 6/6 with no color blindness.
Selection Procedure :
Candidates are selected for the B.Sc in Nautical Science degree of TS Chanakya, Mumbai; and the four-year Marine Engineering degree course at Marine Engineering Research Institute (MERI), in Calcutta and Mumbai, known as DMET, through the Joint Entrance Examination conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) followed by personal interviews/counseling, where the interviewers assess the degree of alertness, and awareness of the external environment, in the candidates and their suitability for a career in the Merchant Navy.
The entry level for a fresh Marine Engineer (ME) is at the rank of a fifth engineer or junior engineer and a Nautical Science graduate is a Deck Cadet. Promotions depend on further examinations conducted by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), the quality of experience, and personal merit. On successfully completing these examinations the candidate receives the 'Certificates of Competency' needed for promotion to the respective classes. This examination is conducted by the Ministry of Surface Transport, in association with the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) Mumbai, for determining the promotion prospects for the officers.
Direct entry to Merchant Navy
Direct entry to Merchant Navy is also possible as the students who have completed their 12th with PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) are eligible to join as Deck Cadets and a student holding a bachelor's degree in Mechanical/ Electrical/ Technology Engineering could also join the Merchant navy as an Engine Cadet/ Fifth Engineer/ Junior Engineer. However Direct entry Deck Cadets are required to undergo basic pre-sea training arranged by the employer or recruiting company itself and the direct entry engineering cadets are preferred to do a Pre-sea course of 9 months duration in Marine Engineering conducted by the MERI.
A career in the merchant navy requires people with a strong will and tough physical form, along with an adaptive and adjustable attitude as he is supposed to travel frequently throughout the world in different environmental and demographic conditions in a short span of time. Besides the candidates need to be quite intelligent, intuitive, willing to work as a team, flexible, patient; have a liking for solitude. Those opting for a career in Merchant Navy should ensure that they are not seasick. Engineers need to be exceptionally resourceful, practical, and skilled and have in-depth knowledge about the workings of the different machines as they have to work with the available resources on board.
As far as pay packages are concerned the Merchant Navy employees are one of the most highly paid professionals in the industry. The starting salary of the personnel varies between Rs. 25,000/- to Rs. 1,00,000/- a month depending on the company one is working in. Besides monetary remunerations personnel of the Navy get a variety of other monetary benefits such as free food, accommodation, paid leave, two-way free passage, and facilities for families. In nutshell, the salary can be saved totally while one is on board. All in all, one can say that the Merchant Navy employees are suitably paid for the hard life they spend on the ship for the contract period.
