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Career in Merchant Navy in India  

About the Career

Merchant Navy Career is one of the most professionally sound & satisfying career which any young person would like to acquire in his life.

This career has been primarily male oriented although legally there is no ban on girls taking up this profession. However, over the years it has become very clear that the girls are not willing to choose this profession even in the countries where there is not much of disparity or inhibitions between men and women working in various professions. In India, so far there have been only handful of girls who have decided to choose this career and it is yet to be seen whether they find it satisfactory and to their liking.

For the young boys this is one of the best careers among the various professions which are available in India. It gives considerable job satisfaction, it is economically very lucrative and it also leads to various openings for those who would not like to continue working on ships for a long time but would be interested in occupying various prestigious positions in merchant navy related jobs ashore.
The basic requirement for such a young person is that he should:

(a) be reasonably physically fit,
(b) be willing to work hard both physically and mentally,
(c) be fond of outdoor life and
(d) have a liking for traveling across the world.

Naturally, by virtue of having to work on-board the ships, he would be away from his family for long duration and would probably be cut off from the mainstream of society ashore.

However these drawbacks are compensated to a considerable extent by modern mode of communications which has now been incorporated on board every ship and which enables him to keep in touch with all his near and dear ones regardless of where his ship is in any part of the world.
Future Prospects :

All navigating officers and marine engineers do have the facility that if they wish to settle down in a shore job then they can opt for various marine related jobs as follows :
   • Surveyors and Examiners employed by Government of India
   • Trainers in various training institutions both in Government and private sector
   • Surveyors employed by various Classification Societies
   • Pilots employed by Major Ports for bringing in and taking out ships
   • Surveyors employed by various private organisations for settlement of
      insurance claims, damage assessment and cargo calculations, etc.
   • Chartering and brokering for fixture of ships to carry cargo as well as for
      sale and purchase of ships
   • Technical Superintendents employed by Shipping Companies to oversee the
      proper operation of their ships
   • Officers employed by agencies who look after all the requirements of
     foreign ships coming to India.
Being shore based employment, the wages are not as high as on board the ship. However, there are various promotional avenues and perquisites and terminal ashore benefits which the seafarers would definitely find it attractive enough.
Many qualified officers have secured shore employment in foreign countries because the Indian qualification comply with the highest International Standards prescribed by IMO and these officers can compete favorably with the best in the world.
 
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