How to Join Merchant Navy After 10th, 12th in India 2023?

How to Join Merchant Navy: Are you interested in joining Merchant Navy after the conclusion of the 10th and 12th? Then you are in the right place. Merchant Navy is a specialized profession that plays a special role in the global shipping industry and enables the transportation of passengers and goods across water pathways. In this article, we will discuss How to Join Merchant Navy After 10th, 12th in India 2023, and related information on the types of Merchant Navy officers, Eligibility Criteria to Join Merchant Navy, etc.

What is the Merchant Navy?

Merchant Navy is a profession that deals with commercial activities such as cargo and passenger conveyance over sea routes. Merchant Navy or "Shipper Marine" is the most crucial component of the worldwide allotment industry and an essential element of any country's economy. Merchant Navy Course is one of the most important and trending courses after BTech Courses. Candidates who are into Merchant Navy Jobs have to work for 6 to 7 months and the rest 4 to 5 months are holidays where they are provided with a NRI status.

Merchant Navy Admission can be taken after the conclusion of 10+2 or graduation from a recognized institute with atleast 50-60% marks in aggregate. Some of the top specializations available in the  Merchant Navy Courses are BTech Marine Engineering, B.Tech Ship Building, Diploma in Nautical Science, etc. The approximate Merchant Navy average salary is INR 3,50,000 to INR 5,00,000 per annum. 

How to Join Merchant Navy: Highlights

Candidates who wish to pursue Merchant Navy Course have been listed in the table below.

Step by Step Guide to Join Merchant Navy

The step-by-step procedure to join the merchant navy has been explained below.

Step 1 - Choose Your Desired Job Profile

When a candidate is willing to join the merchant navy, they will be given two options- Engineer or Cadet. Choosing an Engineer will make them work for running the generators, engines, boilers, and maintaining them while choosing the navigating officer or deck cadet will have to navigate, operate and maintain ships, cargo, and tanks as the primary job. They are also responsible for supervising the loading/unloading of cargo along with handling all safety equipment.

Step 2 - Age Qualifications

The basic requirement for joining the merchant navy is that candidates should be atleast 17 years of age while joining and not exceed 22 years while filling out the Merchant Navy Application Form.

Step 3 - Educational Qualifications

The common educational requirement for the candidates is they should have completed class 10+2 from a recognized institute with atleast 50-60% marks. Candidates who want to join as Cadet officers have to finish their graduation in BSc Nautical Science, BSc Marine, and BSc Marine Catering. On the other hand, candidates who want to join as engineers have to complete a BTech marine engineering, BTech mechanical engineering, BTech civil engineering, BTech petroleum engineering, etc.

Step 4 - Entrance Exams

It is compulsory for all the candidates to appear for a Merchant Navy basic assessment test before appearing for the merchant navy. Some of the accepted entrance exams have been listed in the table below.

Step 5 - Medical Fitness Test

Candidates involved in the merchant navy are mandated to be healthy and fit. It is mandatory for them to have an eye vision of 6/6 and glasses up to plus or minus 2.5 are acceptable for engineers only. Their weight should not exceed 42 kgs (Male/Female), and their maximum height should be 150cm any other medical disorders, such as respiratory system, lymphatic system, speech, digestive system, skin, neurological system, etc should not be allowed.

Step 6 - Finish the Training

The most important aspect of the merchant navy is the training. Candidates willing to join as cadets have to go for pre-sea training for 1 year at Maritime Training Institute (MTI). After the completion of compulsory training, candidates applying for cadet profiles will operate on the ships and conclude 18 months of training. It is to be noted that the candidate is given a monthly stipend during the training days while engineers will complete 6 months of on-ship training.

Step 7 - Appear for Competency Exams

After the conclusion of the training, Cadet candidates will have to appear for competency exams that are conducted by the Government of India (GOI) and join as a third officer while engineers can appear for a competency exam which is conducted by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) and join as the fourth engineer.

Step 8 - Higher Studies

Candidates entering with a graduate qualification of BSc/BE/BTech can fetch their jobs as entry-level officers. Therefore to enhance their employment, candidates are advised to pursue MSc/ME/MTech in several fields such as dredging and harbor engineering, naval architecture, offshore engineering, and marine engineering.

How to Join the Merchant Navy After 12th?

A detailed approach to joining the merchant navy after the completion of class 12 is explained below.

1. Candidates have to pass class 10+2 from a recognized board with atleast 60% marks and a subject combination of Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
2. Candidates are mandated to be unmarried, which is applicable to both males and females.
3. The minimum age is 17 and the maximum age should not exceed 25
4. They should be physically fit
5. He/She should not be addicted to anything (anything not only refers to toxic substances, but it can also be games, etc)
6. Candidates have to appear for entrance exams that will be followed by screening and written tests.
7. Interviews are taken after the completion of the screening exams and writing exams.
8. It is compulsory for all the candidates to complete the training within the given time. Any candidates who miss the training will be prohibited from entering to the Merchant Navy.

How to Join the Merchant Navy After 10th?

1. Joining the merchant navy after class 10th requires candidates to have acquired a minimum score of 40% marks.
2. Candidates should be a citizen of India, and unmarried.
3. They have to appear for written and other medical exams
4. After the conclusion of the entrance exams, candidates can choose a path that starts with 6 months of pre-sea training. 
5. As a trainee, candidates can join the merchant fleet, and strive to get to the rank of capable-bodied seaman followed by passing the COC test to get upgraded to bosun.
6. After this, candidates can become the ship's captain, then a chief officer, etc.

How to Become Merchant Navy Officers?

To become a successful merchant navy officer, candidates have to pass their class 12th with a minimum of 60% or equivalent CGPA and a subject combination of Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (PCM). It is mandatory for the candidates to pass an entrance exam such as JEE Main or IMU CET which is followed by entrance exams and medical exams. They must complete their 18 months of cadet onboard training prior to applying for the GOI competence exam. After successful selection, candidates can join as third officers and appear for further exams for promotions.

Types of Merchant Navy Officers

Merchant Navy Officers can be divided into Navigation Officers and Engineers. They are further divided into other officers/engineers which have been explained in the table below.

Eligibility Criteria to Become a Merchant Navy Officer

The following table can be referred to as the eligibility criteria for becoming a Merchant Navy Officer.

Subjects & Syllabus in Merchant Navy

The Merchant Navy Syllabus has been listed in the table below.

Average Merchant Navy Salary

The average Merchant Navy salary for the merchant navy is given in the table below.

Maritime Courses

Some of the maritime courses have been discussed in the table below.

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