Grandeur & adventure of maritime life drew me towards careers at sea: Niloy Bharadwaj

Cadet Niloy Bharadwaj, 2018 pass out B.Sc Nautical Science graduate, shares his journey of becoming the Captain of a ship with us. He, at present, is working with MOL.

Since my childhood, a life in the sea was my inner calling. I used to stare at the ships setting sail towards unknown lands and envy the brave mariners in flawless white uniforms, wearing the distinguished shoulder pieces with the stripes, the smart captain hats braving the tides of the sea to sail forth.The grandeur and adventure of maritime life drew me towards careers at sea from my childhood days.

After passing Class-XII exams from science stream, I did extensive research online to search for a course that will help me pursue my dream career. I discovered that The Neotia University is one of the very few colleges in eastern India that offers two important branches of marine science including marine engineering and nautical science.I chose Bachelor in Nautical Science from The Neotia University – School of Maritime Studies, since this degree will enable me to rise to the level of a Captain in the ship.

I still remember my first day in The Neotia University campus.I was thrilled to wear the uniform of a navigation cadet that is mandatory for all cadets during the training session. Although the campus is located far-off from the main city, it is neither lonesome nor isolated. The Neotia University's environment is closer to nature, peaceful, pollution-free, equipped with all modern and necessary facilities and conducive for focused learning experience.

The Ship-in campus is one of the most unique attractions of the University the most important site for a nautical science cadet.The ship is equipped with two stroke main propulsion engine of 3,000 BHP, auxiliaries, generators and all other equipment facilities that are required to keep the ship in running condition to facilitate practical learning for nautical science students.

A fascinating ship maneuvering simulator isalso installed within the ship that can give simulated views of different ports and rough sea conditions from the Navigating Bridge of the ship. This entire simulated set-up helped me to practically understand and develop hands-on skills required for a navigating officer to master the challenges of the sea. Moreover, to keep a ship on course, one must know the science of ascertaining the ship’s position by determining the positions with the help of magnetic compasses, complex radar systems, electronic radio and other specialised devices. The institute gave us access to all these advanced machineries and tools to prepare us for the challenges of a navigation officer.

Last year,I graduated from the University and cracked campus placement in MOL (Mitsui O.S.K Lines), one of the leading transport companies in the global shipping industry, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Today, I am travelling the seas world-wide in that coveted uniform, enjoying the adventure and earning a remuneration of around Rs 80,000 per month. My journey towards becoming the captain of a ship continues as I gradually rise in my rank as a deck cadet, third officer, second officer, chief officer and finally the Captain who is in overall charge of the vessel. As a captain of a ship, I would earn somewhere between $8,000-12,000 per month and I would be able to fulfil many of my dreams.

Note : This article has been published on the basis of communication by the college