Sailing Away: How To Join The Merchant Navy In India

The deep blue sea opens up, as you are standing on the deck with your arms on the steel railings.

You look to your right and then to your left and you see nothing but the pristine blue water.

As the gentle air hits your face and the birds start to chirp, you are proud to be in the Merchant Navy.

If you are someone who likes traversing the waters, managing cargos, maintaining ships, exploring different countries and their cultures, then you might be the perfect fit for Merchant Navy. 

Becoming a Merchant Navy officer means having a life full of new adventures and thrills.

You will get paid to go around the world and experience a whole different world.

The perks do not end there, it is also a tax-free job, you will get an NRI Status and you will probably live outside India for more than six months. 

If all this sounds appealing to you and you can’t wait to don that uniform, then the waters are truly calling you.

But before you dive into the profession, you need to know how to become a Merchant Navy officer. 

There are two main positions in the Merchant Navy: Desk Cadet and Engineer. 

In this blog, we will explore both: How to become a Desk Cadet in the Merchant Navy and also how to become an Engineer in Merchant Navy. 

But, first, let's jump into some preliminary requirements that you need to fulfill: 

Educational Requirements

To become a Merchant Navy, you will have to follow a certain kind of educational path.

You cannot take any stream in your 10+2. In your 12th, you should have Science, with Chemistry, Physics, and Maths as your core subjects.

You need to pass your 12th with 60 percent on the 12th board and 50 percent in English. 

You then need to pursue a specific bachelor's degree to graduate, to be eligible to become a Merchant Navy in India. 

Other requirements 

Your educational qualifications and training are the only requirements to join Merchant Navy.

At the time of joining you need to also be unmarried. 

If you are doing B.Sc then both of your eyes should have 6/6 vision.

If you are pursuing B.tech, then you will be allowed +-2.5.

ou will not be eligible to join the Merchant Navy if you have colour blindness. 

You must also be physically fit and at the prime of your health if you wish to become a cadet or an engineer in the Merchant Navy.

You will need to get a certificate from a doctor before joining the course. 

How to become a Desk Cadet in Merchant Navy?

If you wish to become a Desk Cadet then your job will mainly entail running and maintaining ships, cargo, and tanks.

It will be your job to supervise the loading and unloading of the cargo.

From here, you can become the third officer, second office, and finally the Chief officer, once you have a lot of experience under your belt.

So, if this seems to excite you, then the next natural question in your mind will be:

How to become a deck cadet in the Merchant Navy?

Educational Requirements

To become a cadet in the coveted Merchant Navy you have to pursue B.Sc. Nautical Science, B.Sc Marine or B.Sc. Marine Catering.

You also need to take Physics, Chemistry and Maths in your 10+2 to qualify as a cadet in the Merchant Navy.

The Admission Process 

To become a cadet in the Merchant Navy you need to enroll yourself in any one of the above-mentioned bachelor courses.

To get into those courses you will have to clear IMU-CET or JEE. 

IMU CET – The IMU-CET exam is conducted by the Indian Maritime University, and it is your first step into becoming a cadet in the Merchant Navy. I

f you clear this exam, you will be eligible for B.Sc Nautical Science in all colleges affiliated with the Indian Maritime University.

The IMU-CET will test you on subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Maths, English, Logical Reasoning and General Knowledge.

Once your entrance exam is clear you will also have to pass an interview and a medical test. 

JEE- If you wish to get into government colleges, then you need to sit for JEE exam. This is conducted by the IITs.

If you wish to get into Marine Engineering & Research Institute, Kolkata or National Maritime Academy, Chennai, you need to clear JEE.

Training and Other Exams 

Once you have sailed through your bachelor's course, you have to go through a year of You will one-year pre-sea training in the Maritime Training Institute.

This is compulsory, and you cannot avoid it.

The training takes place after your graduation and is not a part of your graduation. 

Once you have floated through this mandatory training, you will be placed on ships and trained there for around 18 months.

It is now that you become a cadet. You get the pristine white uniform and you can walk out of those doors with a feather on your cap. 

As cadets, you can take breaks in between, but this might be spread over different ships.

You will also receive a stipend, which varies.

Once your 18 months training is over, you can appear for a competency exam that is conducted by the Indian government.

Once you breeze through this exam you can board the ship as a third officer.

Over the years, with more experience and with more examinations, you can move up the ladders. 

How to become an Engineer in the Merchant Navy?

If the job of a desk cadet doesn’t interest you, and you are more into the technical part of it.

Then, the position of an engineer might interest you more.

If this is your true calling, then as an engineer on the ship you will be expected to maintain the engine, boiler, generator and other such mechanics.

You need to ensure that all the machines on the ship are working fine and to make sure that the ship sails through the cold waters. 

Educational Requirements

To become an Engineer in the Merchant Navy, you need to have bachelor's in marine engineering, petroleum engineering, Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering, Civil Engineering, Harbour & Ocean Engineering, and Electrical & Electronics Engineering.
 

Admission Process

The admission process is not too different from that of becoming a desk cadet in the Merchant Navy. You need to clear IMU-CET to pursue B.tech in Marine Engineering or the other eligible courses listed above. The colleges that you can then apply to are affiliated with the Indian Maritime University 

You can also sit for JEE, as some government colleges admit students based on their JEE scores. Since you want to pursue engineering in Merchant Navy, you can also join traditional engineering colleges. 

Some private institutes might have their entrance exams as well that you need to clear to get into Merchant Navy in India. 

Training and other Exams

As an engineer also you will have to complete your mandatory one-year pre-sea training before boarding the ship.

You will then have another training for six months. This training will be done on the ship itself.

Ince your training period is over you can appear for competency exams to keep moving up. 

No matter which direction you wish to sail to desk cadet or engineering, life as a Merchant Navy officer is exciting and challenging at the same time. So hold onto that high tide and ride those waves.