Merchant Navy Officer

Hi Siddharth,
Eligibility Criteria:
The eligibility for joining merchant navy is finishing class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
Candidates have to be unmarried Indian citizens (male or female).
Normal vision is required but glasses up to plus or minus 2.5 may be allowed.
Admission is through an entrance followed by a screening test and a main written examination.
After clearing the test, there is an interview and a medical test.
You also need to complete a ship-training course prior to the employment. The course is generally short-term where the candidates are taught basic security concerns of voyaging.
There are some private institutes, which offer training for merchant navy as well. These institutes prepare students for jobs such as deck cadets and marine engineering jobs.
All the best.

Hi Shivam,
There are two routes (assuming that you mean a Master of a merchant ship on international trade). The first is to begin at a nautical college as a student/cadet and obtain the required knowledge and a modicum of experience at school and on relatively short periods on ships at sea. Upon graduation there are mandatory short courses required which vary somewhat, including the important examinations from the Indian authorities, followed by the issuance of your very first and highly prized certificate of competency, as a Second Mate, Foreigh Going! You will then gain more experience at sea, write more examinations and obtain your next certificate as Mate, Foreign Going. After more seatime and more examinations you will finally obtain the highly prized certificate as Master, Foreign Going!
But you must still gain more seatime to gain more experience, and there are also a raft of short courses to take in all sorts of fields. The Endorsements that you will receive from those courses (some of which you may have obtained early in your career) are what really tell the tale when it comes to getting jobs. They will include subjects like dynamic positioning, navigation simulator (including the all-important radar), specific trade certifications such as tankers, and so on. They are critical!
Once you have the certification, the experience, the endorsements and can convince the manager/owner that you can be trusted with his/her prized possession, you will be given command of your first ship, and as you gain more experience in command you will get to command better, bigger ships. Good luck!
For your first lesson, repeat after me - Captain is a title, not a position. The person in charge of a ship is the Master, just like it says on all the regulations and certificates.
All the best.

Hi Kamal,
The opportunity to travel around the world and the lure of adventure on the high seas, besides the possibility of high remunerations attracts many youngsters to make a career in the Merchant Navy. Merchant Navy is different from the navy in the sense that it offers commercial services, as opposed to the navy, which is largely involved in the defence of a nation.
Merchant Navy is the backbone of international trade, carrying cargo all over the world. The merchant ships employ a huge number of workers to carry and deliver goods from one country to another. Without the merchant navy, much of the import-export business would come to a grinding halt!
A career in the merchant navy is considered a glamorous job, especially by the people who have been bitten by the travel bug. It offers an opportunity to visit new and exotic places all around the globe. Merchant Navy career is not only monetarily rewarding but also satisfying and a quite challenging.
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility for joining merchant navy is finishing class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
Candidates have to be unmarried Indian citizens (male or female).
Normal vision is required but glasses up to plus or minus 2.5 may be allowed.
Admission is through an entrance followed by a screening test and a main written examination.
After clearing the test, there is an interview and a medical test.
You also need to complete a ship-training course prior to the employment. The course is generally short-term where the candidates are taught basic security concerns of voyaging.
There are some private institutes, which offer training for merchant navy as well. These institutes prepare students for jobs such as deck cadets and marine engineering jobs.
How to Join Merchant Navy After 12th
After class 12, you are eligible to study the following merchant navy courses:
B.Sc. Nautical Science
B.E. Marine Engineering
B.E. Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering
B.E. Petroleum Engineering
B.E. Mechanical Engineering
B.E. Harbour & Ocean Engineering
B.E. Civil Engineering
B.E. Electrical & Electronics Engineering
B.Sc. Marine Catering
Electro Technical Officer Course
There are enormous employment opportunities in this field. Candidates who have finished the basic course in merchant navy can get jobs very easily through various consultants and placement agencies.
All the best.

Hi Shivam,
Knowing about various subjects one has to learn in each of these streams helps to get rid of most of the doubts involved with deciding between the two departments.
Engineer Officers - are the ones who handles machinery (Engine). You need to have interest in technical, be physically strong. The working environment is little bit harsh as the temperature can range from 35 to 50 Celsius. Start loving sweat and oil from today (sarcastically), but that is part of job.
Ranks in this dept are as follows
1. Chief Engineer
2. 2nd Eng
3. 3rd Eng
4. 4th Eng
5. Jr. Eng
Deck Department: Those who are not type of techie stuff then this is the best option. A person interested in management type of job will like deck dept. The work of deck officers is to navigate the ship. It's preferable to have good communication skills and leadership qualities.
Ranks are as follows:
Captain
Chief Officer
Second Officer
Third Officer
Trainee Navigating Officer
If we compare deck and engine department after they exit Merchant navy, then I guess marine engineers have better opportunities.
All the best.