Maritime Training Institute News

India and Russia will explore the possibility of using new transport corridors such as the Northern Sea Route and Eastern Maritime Corridor between Vladivostok and Chennai to widen maritime cooperation, the Indian government said on Wednesday.A decision to work towards this was made during a meeting between India's Ports, Shipping and Waterways minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Russia's Development of the Far East and Arctic minister, A.O.

The 2021 Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID) survey is about to be launched. This is a unique and pivotal time in maritime training. The pandemic has forced us to adapt our training and has accelerated training innovations. This year’s survey is uniquely important for its ability to help us learn from these unprecedented changes to training practices. If we do not survey and document the changes resulting from the pandemic, we lose a unique opportunity to learn. Therefore, the industry needs you to take 20 minutes to complete the survey at www.MarTID.org.

The Liberia Maritime Training Institute (LMTI) was officially opened by Liberia President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf during an inauguration ceremony in Marshall City, Liberia, on January 5. The facility is named after John G Bestman, former Liberian finance minister and a member of the board of governors of the Central Bank of Liberia. Under the management of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), LMTI has undergone a massive renovation and facility modernization program over the past two years, resulting in the creation of a new campus and state-of-the-art facilities.

Indian Minister of State for Shipping, Mansukh Mandaviya inspected the facilities and ongoing projects at Kolkata Port Trust and GR Jetty of Inland Waterways Authority of India. Mandavia visited Netaji Subhas Dock at Kolkata Port Trust where he stressed upon the need for strengthening the Dry Dock facilities. He also inaugurated the renovated Birsa Munda Sarani and Sonapur Road of the Port, and  participated in the tree plantation activities organised by the Port Authorities. He later flagged off the state-of-the–art Seagoing Survey Launch (River Pearl-1) of KoPT. The launch is fitted with hull mounted inboard transducers and equipped with modern survey software for online data acquisition and processing along with AIS and radar. At the G.R.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), handled 3.9 lakh TEUs in the month of November 2017, while recording a growth of 5.76% in container handling for the period Apr-Nov2017 as compared to same period last year. Of the four terminals at JNPT, JNPCT handled 1.18 lakh TEUs, APM Terminal’s total stood at 1.66 lakh TEUs, DP World (comprising NSICT and NSIGT) together handled 1.06 lakh TEUs in the month of November 2017. The Direct Port Delivery initiative under ‘Ease of Doing Business’ has been steadily going up and in the month of November, 34.73% of cargo was cleared through DPD, resulting in significant saving in transaction cost and time. Another important initiative namely Inter terminal movements of TTs - was used by 15,267 trucks, completing 19,279 transactions in November.

Antwerp Port Authority signed a collaboration agreement with the port of Caofeidian in China. The collaboration forms part of the “One Belt One Road” project in which China seeks to connect its main ports and industrial cities more closely with crucial trade centres elsewhere in the world including Europe. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the presence of the prime ministers of Belgium and China at a ceremony held in Val Duchesse castle where seven other agreements between the two countries were also concluded at the same time. Caofeidian is a very young but also a very dynamic port situated in the North of Bohai bay in China. Last year it handled 260 million tonnes of freight including 36 million tonnes of steel.

The Iranian shipping company Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) called at the port of Antwerp with one of its ships this week, for the first time since economic sanctions were lifted. The honour of being the “first” Iranian ship in Antwerp’s waters fell to the container carrier Azargoun which moored at the Antwerp Gateway terminal in the Deurganck dock. A deputation of representatives from the Port Authority, the ship’s agent PWL and the terminal operator went on board to welcome the ship’s master and crew. Up until 2010 Antwerp was the main European port destination for Iranian cargo. Now that sanctions against Iran have been lifted, the Port Authority is eager to restore economic relations with that country.

The growing popularity of “Maritime Potpourri” Conference organized by the Company of Master Mariners of India (CMMI) was evident yet again on 25th July, 2015 when a bigger turnout of participants ensued at the well-known venue, the Maritime Training Institute Auditorium of the Shipping Corporation of India, Mumbai. One major reason being that vital and pertinent issues are focused at these events, issues that have a strong bearing on the day-to-day operations of mariners. Another being that this conference brings together not just the mariners, nautical architects, and marine engineers but also top officials from the administration, regulators, coast guards, navy, etc., thus often offering an opportunity to sort out problems on-the-spot and have things put in right perspective.

Abu Dhabi Ports informs it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Authority for the Security of Ports, Borders and Free Zones to establish a joint-training program that will aim to help improve border security and increase ports and ports systems protection across the Emirate. The agreement also looks to potentially engage in other areas of cooperation to further develop capabilities and improve organizational efficiencies. The MoU signed recently by Jassem Mohammad Al Zaabi…

The Shipping Corporation of India’s (SCI) Worldwide Agents Meet 2015 was this year held in the Auditorium of  it's Maritime Training Institute at Powai. The meet was attended by about 102  delegates from various agency houses  representing Far East, Indian Subcontinent, Persian Gulf, Western Europe, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Red Sea, USA etc. The  two day meet began with auspicious lightening of lamp by the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Shri. Arun Kumar Gupta. All the functional directors of SCI, Capt Sunil Thapar , Director (Bulk & Tanker Division),  Capt. B B Sinha, Director (Personnel & Administration), Capt S Narula, Director (Liner and Passenger Services)…

Abu Dhabi Ports’ Maritime Training Centre looked back on what it called a successful year, noting a number “success stories” throughout 2014 as the number of trainees at the center increased by 15% in 2014 compared to 2013. Highlighting its success, the training center noted that five new courses have been added to the program which covers the Channel Familiarization course, the Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) course, the Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO) course, the High Speed Craft Operators course…

The Ethiopian Maritime Training Institute (EMTI) has welcomed an initiative by the United States that will provide Ethiopian seafarers with a new class of C1/D visas. The new C1/D visas issued to Ethiopian crewmembers will now be valid for two years. Effective January 2015, the US extended the term period of C1/D visas for Ethiopian nationals, primarily for the purpose of facilitating transit to and from the US by the crews of merchant ships. During a recent visit to EMTI in Bahir Dar…

Three major maritime organizations, the Company of Master Mariners of India, the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and Shipping Professionals Network-Mumbai teamed up to focus on the recent International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) initiative on container weight verification. In this regard, a joint conference was held last weekend to deliberate on “Container Weights – Vagaries and Variances’ at the Maritime Training Institute of the Shipping Corporation of India’s auditorium, Powai, Mumbai. The event saw a record number of participants from not just the shipping companies but also those into maritime training, exporters and importers, ship charterers, MTOs, freight forwarders, insurance firms, manning and ship management, logistics, et al.

Reducing accidents depends on knowledge, skill and just as importantly, attitude, says the Indian Maritime Administration. And, human error is not always just seafarer error. As the government of India strives to raise India’s share of the global seafaring community from 7 to 15 percent by 2020, at the same time, it struggles with the reality of an escalating death rate attributed to accidents and suicides among Indian mariners. According to the casualty figures released by the Directorate General of Shipping, government of India (the Indian administration) there were 25 accidental deaths, 2 cases of suicide and 8 sailors reported missing during 2012. Year to date data in 2013 suggests a similar and perhaps even slightly elevated pattern.

Union Minister for Shipping Shri G K Vasan yesterday inaugurated the Karaikal campus of the Indian Maritime University (IMU) in the Union Territory of Puducherry. To fulfill the aspirations of the youth in maritime training, education and career building, the Union government opened IMU campuses in all of the country’s maritime states. The government has already opened campuses of the University at Kandla and Cochin. A feasibility study conducted by the Ministry of Shipping concluded that new campus at Karaikal would benefit the rural youth to pursue a career in the maritime field. Speaking at the occasion, the Minister told that the efforts of the government as set out in the Maritime agenda 2020 has made the country a major supplier of the most efficient and cost effective manpower.

The Maritime Authority of Jamaica has a new head office - right on the waterfront in Kingston. Customers of the MAJ and Jamaica Flag Registry are set to benefit from the new location which is also closer to the Maritime Training Institute and only seven minutes from the Port of Kingston. The MAJ says its new offices will allow for greater accessibility to the MAJ by its customers and will better enable the MAJ to serve its market. Seymour Harley, Registrar General of Ships, said: "We are delighted that we are exactly one minute's walk - I timed it! - from a vessel docked along the waterfront. Previously we were located in the heart of the uptown business district with only 'peephole' views of the harbour through skyscrapers.

Maritime Training Institute announces Online learning programs for the busy marine professional. Online offers immediacy in that the courses are available for student participation every time a students logs on. It also offers convenience and flexibility that allows students to study wherever and whenever regardless of location, with access to the internet the only requirement. Online learning also offers better interactive capabilities including ‘tutorials', and 'student chat rooms' that have the potential to enhance the learning experience through online discussions and student networks. MTI has chosen an Asynchronous format to allow busy employees more freedom. Synchronous learning means logging on to live interactive sessions through video, phone, chat rooms, video conferencing.

Transas Marine Pacific, the Transas representative in the South-East Asian region, has supplied a bridge simulator, Navi-Trainer Professional 3000, and a GMDSS simulator, TGS 4100, to Bangladesh Maritime Training Institute (BMTI). The acquired simulation facility has enabled BMTI to organize STCW compliant courses at its premises. The full mission ship handling simulator Navi-Trainer Professional 3000 comprises ECDIS with radar picture overlay capability, Radar/ARPA, real hardware for steering and engine control, Conning center and three channels of visualization. The simulator is provided with a wide variety of ship models and extended exercise areas library, including Dover Strait, Singapore Strait, Kanmon and others.