As of 1 August 2026, completing just the five basic STCW safety courses no longer qualifies you for an Indian CDC. Here's exactly what changed, who's still eligible, and who's grandfathered under the old rules.
If your plan to join the merchant navy was "do the five basic STCW safety courses, get a CDC, then find a ship" — that route no longer exists. DGS Order 12 of 2026, in effect since 1 August 2026, discontinues Indian CDC issuance based solely on completion of the five basic safety courses. If you're mid-way through planning around this pathway, this is the order you need to understand before you spend any more money.
What Actually Changed
Until 31 July 2026, completing the five mandatory basic STCW safety courses — Personal Survival Techniques (PST), Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (FPFF), Elementary First Aid (EFA), Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR), and Security Training for Seafarers with Designated Security Duties (STSDSD) — was, on its own, enough to get an Indian Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC).
As of 1 August 2026, that's no longer true. Completing the five basics alone will not get you a CDC. You now need to fall into one of six specific categories, and every one of them requires something more than just the five basic courses.
Why DGMA Made This Change
The order itself is unusually candid about the reasoning, and it's worth understanding because it explains why the rule is strict rather than a minor tightening.
DGMA's own figures state that roughly 3,50,000 candidates hold an Indian CDC obtained purely through the five-basic-courses route, and nearly 1,80,000 of them have never had their first shipboard job. The order describes a pattern of recruitment agents charging large fees under the promise of "long-duration pre-sea training," housing candidates in lodges for months with no real structured training, then enrolling them only in the five basic courses — after which they hold a CDC but no real employability, leaving many vulnerable to exploitation or outright abandonment.
The order also cites ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) data on seafarer abandonment: global cases rose from 1,676 in 2023 to 3,133 in 2024 — an 87% increase — with India the most affected nationality. Indian seafarers reported abandoned rose from 401 (2023) to 899 (2024), and to 1,125 in 2025.
Who Is Still Eligible for a CDC
Under the new rules, a CDC will only be issued to candidates in one of these six categories — all of whom still need the five basic STCW courses, plus one of the following:
| Category | What's additionally required |
|---|---|
| Pre-Sea Training Certificate Holders | A Director-General-approved pre-sea training course (this is the standard route — GP Rating, DNS, B.Tech Marine, GME, etc.) |
| Agniveer Candidates | A valid Agniveer discharge certificate |
| Hospitality — standard | A hotel management degree/diploma/certificate, plus the DG-approved Orientation Course for Catering Personnel (OCCP) |
| Hospitality — cruise line (exceptional cases) | Engagement through a DG-approved cruise line recruitment company; CDC issued restricted to cruise and passenger vessels only |
| Ex-Indian Navy Personnel | A valid discharge certificate from the Indian Navy |
| Certified Cooks | A Cook Certificate of Competency issued or recognised by the Government of India |
| Certificate of Competency Holders | Any CoC issued or recognised by the Government of India |
If you're following a standard structured entry route — GP Rating, DNS, B.Tech Marine, or GME through a DGMA-approved institute — this change doesn't affect your eligibility. It closes the shortcut route that bypassed structured training entirely, not the standard pathways. (Our complete guide to joining the merchant navy covers these routes in detail.)
What If You Already Applied Before 1 August 2026?
The order's grandfathering provision is tied to your CDC application submission date, not to when you started or finished the five basic courses. If you had already submitted a CDC application to a shipping master office — on the basis of undertaking the basic STCW courses — before 1 August 2026, that application will still be processed under the old rules. Any CDC already issued remains valid and unaffected by this order.
If you completed the five basic courses but had not yet submitted your CDC application before 1 August 2026, the grandfathering provision does not cover you — the new eligibility categories above apply to your application instead, regardless of when you did the courses themselves.
Other Changes in the Same Order
Two additional provisions, aimed at GP Rating entrants specifically:
- 25% of GP Rating seats at any approved institute must now be reserved for candidates with an additional technical qualification — an IACS-certified welding course, or a diploma/certificate (minimum one year) in fitter, mechanic, electrical, plumbing, or computer trades from a government-approved institution such as an ITI.
- The upper age limit for GP Rating entry has increased from 25 to 28. The existing SC/ST age relaxation continues to apply on top of this.
What This Means If You're Currently Planning Your Entry
If any institute is still advertising "get your CDC with just the five basic courses" as a standalone package, that's no longer a legitimate route — the order specifically instructs DGMA-approved institutes to stop offering or advertising this as a path to a CDC, with suspension or withdrawal of approval as the consequence for non-compliance. Before enrolling in any short course marketed this way, verify the institute's approval status in our institute directory and ask directly how the course leads to CDC eligibility under the current rules.
This article summarises DGS Order 12 of 2026 as published by DGMA. It is not a substitute for reading the full order or confirming your specific eligibility category directly with DGMA before making any enrolment or payment decisions.
An institute can be approved for one course and not approved for another. Always verify the specific course approval before paying any fees.
- 1Verify the instituteCheck that the institute appears in the DGS-approved list.
- 2Verify the courseConfirm the specific course is approved at that institute.
- 3Check expiry and placementConfirm the approval has not lapsed and that the institute offers placement.
- 4Check RPSL if placement promisedIf the institute promises sea-time placement, verify their RPSL licence.