<p class="MsoNormal">In one of the largest coordinated enforcement actions in its

history, India's <b>Directorate General of Shipping (DGS)</b> has issued a

sweeping regulatory circular prohibiting <b>366 foreign-flagged vessels</b>

from hiring Indian crew members. The massive intervention follows rigorous

audits documenting severe violations of international maritime labor

conventions, including prolonged crew abandonment, systemic non-payment of

wages, and denial of basic medical provisions.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Enforcement Framework and Vessel Tiering<o:p></o:p></b></p>

<ul style="margin-top:0cm" type="disc">

<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Dual-Classification

System</b>: The operational circular, issued directly to all registered

Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) holders and seafaring

unions, splits the targeted fleets into two strict penalty levels:<o:p></o:p></li>

<ul style="margin-top:0cm" type="circle">

<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Restricted

Tier</b>: <b>278 vessels</b> have been designated as 'Restricted' from

hiring any Indian seafarers until full labor compliance is audited and

cleared.<o:p></o:p></li>

<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Blacklisted

Tier</b>: <b>88 vessels</b> face the most severe classification,

indicating repeated or critical non-compliance that blocks operations

indefinitely.<o:p></o:p></li>

</ul>

<li class="MsoNormal"><b>The

Legislative Trigger</b>: The mandate enforces strict compliance under the <b>Merchant

Shipping Act</b> and aligns directly with the International Labour

Organization's (ILO) <b>Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006</b>, to

protect the safety and financial security of Indian seafarers globally.<o:p></o:p></li>

</ul>

<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Crackdown on Substandard Subchartering<o:p></o:p></b></p>

<ul style="margin-top:0cm" type="disc">

<li class="MsoNormal"><b>RPSL

Accountability</b>: The DGS has placed Indian crew placement agencies on

high alert. Agencies attempting to bypass the ban via secondary

sub-charters or changing vessel flags will face immediate termination of

their recruiting licenses.<o:p></o:p></li>

<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Seafarer

Advisory</b>: The regulatory body has instructed Indian seafarers to

instantly verify vessel IMO numbers against the newly published exclusion

ledger before signing any employment agreements or board-ship contracts.<o:p></o:p></li>

</ul>