Promotion of skill development in the maritime sector under Skill India Mission
MSDE and MoPSW announced maritime-sector skilling steps under the Skill India Mission, including PMKVY training aligned to IMO STCW 2010 standards.
- SIM is the Government of India’s programme to deliver skill training through multiple schemes for different learner needs.
- PMKVY maritime skilling includes logistics and port-linked job roles like Signalman Port Operation and Vessel Operator Grade-1.
- DGS approves maritime training institutes and issues lists of approved maritime training courses for seafarers.
- STCW Convention is an International Maritime Organization (IMO) standard for seafarers’ training and certification, and courses must follow the IMO Model Course.
What happened: maritime-sector skilling under Skill India Mission and port/shipbuilding capacity steps
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) announced maritime-sector skilling steps under the Government of India’s Skill India Mission (SIM). MSDE stated that SIM delivers skill, re-skill and up-skill training through a network of skill development centres and institutes using schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). MSDE also cited SIM training for youth across India, including youth in Kasaragod.
For maritime seafarer training and certification, MSDE linked training standards to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention for seafarers. MSDE highlighted Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) actions that operationalise STCW-aligned training in India through approvals of Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs), approved maritime training course lists, and the Training, Examination and Assessment Programme (TEAP) manual. MSDE also reported a common course for Maritime Training Institute faculties named Vertical Integration Course for Trainers.
MSDE and MoPSW framed maritime skilling as a jobs-and-standards effort: Skill India Mission (SIM) schemes deliver skill, re-skill and up-skill training through PMKVY, JSS, NAPS and CTS via Industrial Training Institutes, while the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) aligns maritime training courses and assessment guidance with the IMO Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention. This UPSC frame focuses on how India uses regulator-approved training, assessment and certification pathways to support maritime employability.
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