About 1.9 million seafarers work in the global shipping industry, while 80 to 90 percent of the world’s trade is transported by sea. In such a situation, the demand for trained Indian officers remains constant. If you also want to make a career in this field, then today let us tell you things related to qualification, course, admission process, salary and job opportunities.

Merchant Navy is not a military service like the Indian Navy but a commercial sector. Its officers are responsible for the operation of the cargo ship, navigation, engine system, electrical equipment and safety of the ship. These ships transport oil, containers, vehicles, food grains, chemicals and other goods from one country to another.

Mainly three types of officers are made in Merchant Navy. It has the first deck officer, who is responsible for the navigation route planning, cargo operation and security of the ship. The second is a marine engineer who oversees engine machinery, generators and propulsion systems. The third is Electro Technical Officer, who operates the electrical systems, automation and communication divisions of the ship.

For admission to Officer Training Entry Programme, candidates must have passed 12th with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and English subjects from any recognized board. Apart from this, the conditions of minimum marks, age limit and medical fitness also have to be fulfilled as prescribed by the institute.

In the medical examination, good eyesight, color vision, hearing ability and physical fitness are checked. There are no direct officer entry programs available for commerce and humanities students.

To become an officer in Merchant Navy, a candidate has to do B.Sc Nautical Science, Diploma in Nautical Science, BE-B.Tech Marine Engineering, Graduate Marine Engineering and Electro Technical Officer courses. These courses are conducted in institutions affiliated with Indian Maritime University and DG Shipping.

IMU CET is the main entrance exam in most of the institutes for admission in Merchant Navy, although it is not mandatory in all the institutes. Some DG Shipping affiliated private institutes also offer admission on the basis of their own separate selection process or company sponsorship test and interview.

Apart from this, according to experts, it is considered very important to get sponsorship from a shipping company before admission in Merchant Navy course. Under sponsorship, the company selects students after written examination, interview and medical test and provides the opportunity for mandatory on-board sea training after completion of the course.

In Merchant Navy, good salary is available right from the starting level. Salaries vary depending on the company, ship and experience. For example, a deck cadet gets a stipend of around Rs 30 to 80 thousand. Whereas the third officer gets a salary of Rs 1 to 3 lakh per month. Similarly, a second officer gets a salary of Rs 2 to 4 lakh, a chief officer gets a salary of Rs 4 to eight lakh and a captain gets a salary of Rs 6 to 10 lakh or more per month.