NEWS: Indian seafarer safety has emerged as a major concern due to geopolitical conflicts, missile attacks, and drone strikes in key international shipping routes.

The Government of India has taken steps to enhance the safety of Indian sailors working in high-risk maritime zones.

ABOUT

• Seafarers are professional sailors employed on merchant ships engaged in international and domestic trade.
• India has over 3 lakh seafarers and is among the top three seafarer-supplying countries globally.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Indian seafarers increased from 62,267 (2010) to 3,07,901 (2024).
• India contributes significantly to the global maritime workforce.
• Around 18,000 Indian seafarers work in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

Critical maritime chokepoints include:

• Strait of Hormuz
• Bab-el-Mandeb Strait
• Many Indian sailors serve on ships registered under Flags of Convenience (FoC) such as Panama, Liberia, and Palau.

LEGAL & INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

• UNCLOS (1982) – Freedom of navigation.
• Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006 – Seafarers' rights and welfare.
• STCW Convention, 1978 – Training and certification standards.
• SOLAS Convention, 1974 – Safety standards for merchant ships.
• SAR Convention, 1979 – Search and Rescue at sea.
• Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 – Governs Indian merchant shipping.
• Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) – National maritime regulator.
• Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), Gurugram – Maritime domain awareness and intelligence sharing.