When his peers were appearing for the Indian Institute of Technology entrance test, Jagan Mohan had already decided on a career as a seafarer. Now in his final year at the Marine Research Engineering Institute (MREI), Calcutta, Mohan has no regrets about his decision: “I decided to go into the merchant navy as it fulfils the three dreams of my life ? good money, lots of travel and, yes, an image in society.”

Indeed, a career in the merchant navy gives you all this and more. Indians constitute six per cent of the workforce in the global shipping industry. And the demand for qualified marine personnel is only going to get bigger. Industry projections predict that the gap between the demand for marine workers and supply is going to widen even more by 2010.

A merchant navy fleet consists of barge ships, container ships, cargo ships, bulk carriers and passenger ships. Careers in the merchant navy are mainly in two streams: engineering and nautical sciences.

Marine engineers have the entire responsibility of maintaining ships. This includes taking care of the engine, pumps, hydraulics, fuel systems, electrical generating plants and boilers. In short, it is almost like working in a mini engineering plant. Deck or navigation officers are in charge of the navigation of ships.

The captain of the ship is responsible for the safe navigation of the vessel as well as the safety of the crew, passengers and the cargo. Apart from assigning organisational duties to the crew, the captain has to be aware of international sea rules and codes of conduct.

In India, organised efforts at marine education began in the 1920s when the department of commerce, Government of India, acquired R.I.M.S Dufferin and converted it to a training ship in December 1927. Since then, on an average, India produces 28,000 seamen every year who join the merchant navy.

To get into the merchant navy, you need to have passed Class XII with physics, chemistry and mathematics and secured at least 60 per cent marks. Candidates have to take the IIT joint entrance exam to get admission to MREI, Calcutta, for a four-year course in marine engineering or the three-year BSc in nautical science at the T.S. Chanakya, Mumbai. You also need to have 6/6 vision to make the grade.

Says B.N. Das, deputy director, MREI, Calcutta: “This is the only institute that finds mention in the seventh schedule of the Constitution and was set up at the behest of the late prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.” Today, the college accommodates 120 candidates in its bachelors course of marine engineering and the various upgradation courses.

T.S. Chanakya conducts a three-year degree course in nautical sciences in affiliation with the University of Mumbai. After qualifying, the cadet officer is required to complete one year in the deck department on board a merchant ship to become eligible for the Second Mates (FG) certificate of competency.

With the demand for seamen growing, a number of private institutes have also been set up in recent years. For instance, the Tolani Maritime Institute in Pune, set up in 1997, offers both marine engineering and a BS in nautical science technology. Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, also offers these courses.

The fees in public institutes are around Rs 1 lakh per annum, while private institutes charge anywhere between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 8 lakh per annum.

You could also enrol at one of the private pre-sea training institutes that help you gain entry into merchant navy vessels. These include institutes like Academy of Maritime Education and Training, Chennai, National Institute of Port Management, Chennai, Wales College of Maritime Studies, Chennai, etc. Independent rating agencies like CRISIL, ICRA and CARE rate all the public and private maritime institutes. It is advisable to check the ratings of an institute before you join it.

After the completion of the four-year marine engineering course, you will join a vessel as a fifth engineer where your primary responsibility would be the maintenance of the engine auxiliaries. A BSc nautical science graduate, on the other hand, will join as a trainee cadet. A marine engineer becomes a chief engineer in about seven to 10 years. A trainee cadet could rise to be the captain of the ship in about eight years. Unlike other professions, promotions in the merchant navy are based on the number of exams that one takes to upgrade oneself.

For example, a deck cadet has to clear the Third Mate’s exam which is offered to cadets three years after joining a ship. Likewise, an engineer too has to clear different exams and get the relevant certifications to upgrade himself or herself. There are training ships such as the T.S. Bhadra, Calcutta, or the T.S. Mekhala, Vishakapatnam, that offer training for different certifications. MREI, Calcutta, too conducts short-term courses for experienced seamen to enable them to move to the next level.

In smooth waters

So what can you expect from your life at sea? For starters, the pay is excellent. Trainee engineers usually start with a salary of Rs 40,000 per month. A deck officer also gets a starting salary in the range of Rs 25,000 per month. As you rise in the hierarchy, the pay packet goes up to as much as Rs 2-3 lakh a month.

But money apart, one of the biggest attractions of a career in the merchant navy is a chance to see the world. As Vijay Venkatraman, second engineer at a foreign shipping company, says: “In my 15 years of career, I have visited more countries than I can count on my fingers. It is a rewarding career for people like me who love to see new places.”

The only disadvantage of a life in the sea is the absence of a regular family life. Besides, you are required to keep a gruelling schedule. Says Venkatraman, “It is not a 9 to 5 job at all. One is always on call and you never know what to expect.”

And if you have had enough of the sea after putting in years of service in the merchant navy, you have many career options to choose from on land as well. According to Das, merchant navy engineers are in demand in sectors like manufacturing, hospitality, and automotive industries.