Directorate General of Shipping
Let’s learn about Directorate General of Shipping. The Ministry of Commerce was responsible for all matter relating to policy and administration of merchant shipping. Subsequently, it was felt that there should be separate organizations to deal with all execute matters relating to merchant shipping. Accordingly, the Directorate General of Shipping was set up in September 1949, with headquarters at Bombay. It functions, inter alias, include
- Matters affecting merchant shipping, navigation, administration of merchant shipping
- Development of Indian shipping
- Regulation of ocean freight rates in overseas trade
The main job for the directorate is to ensure that Indian ships and shipping companies meet high safety- and environmental standards, to ensure that Indian seamen have high qualifications and good working- and living conditions, and to ensure that foreign ships in Indian territory and ports meet international rules.
The Director General of Shipping is vested with statutory powers under Section 7 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 and is responsible for implementation of the provisions of the act .
It ensures implementation of various international Conventions, relating to safely SOLAS,(International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) requirements for prevention of pollution, MARPOL 73/78 and other mandatory requirements of International Maritime Organization.
