INDIA’S Directorate General of Shipping is cracking down on unauthorised seafarer training, after an order issued this month threatened to blacklist organisations that do not first get the approval of the directorate before running their programmes.

The authority said it had learnt that some “foreign governments, maritime administrations and their representatives” had authorised training centres that issue Certificates of Competencies and Certificates of Proficiencies under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers within India, without the approval of the directorate.

“Such activities are unauthorised and in contravention of Indian law and international obligations, and they undermine the regulatory authority of the Indian Maritime Administration,” the directorate said.

It pointed to the Merchant Shipping Act of 1958, which states that no training is deemed valid unless it is approved by the central government.

Any entity found to be providing training without the approval of the directorate could be blacklisted, along with the seafarers involved, the directorate has threatened.

The order comes after an annual report revealed casualties involving India-flagged vessels, Indian seafarers and vessels in Indian waters increased 21% in 2024 compared with the previous year.

Collisions doubled in that period from five to 10, while missing or man overboard cases increased 42.9%, the DGS report said.