Symposium on Seafarers’ Recruitment & Welfare and Inauguration of MMD Patna
Kolkata, 27 February 2026:
The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India, will inaugurate the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) Patna and the Seafarers’ Outreach Centre, followed by the formal commencement of redevelopment works at Nabik Griha Samity and the Marine Club Kolkata, on 27 February 2026. The inaugural programme will be followed by a fullday Symposium on Seafarers’ Recruitment & Welfare at Hotel Raajkutir, Kolkata – IHCL SeleQtions, from 09:00 AM to 05:30 PM.
The inauguration ceremony will be graced by the Hon’ble Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways as Chief Guest, together with the Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and the Director General of Shipping as Guests of Honour. The event will also be attended by the Additional Director General of Shipping.
The establishment of MMD Patna and the Seafarers’ Outreach Centre represents a major step toward enhancing regulatory access and welfare delivery across Eastern India. These facilities will provide seafarers with improved access to certification services, documentation assistance, grievanceredressal support, and welfare facilitation significantly benefiting seafarers from Bihar and adjoining regions by bringing essential maritime services closer to their home states.
The event will gather a wide crosssection of the maritime community, including shipowners’ associations, ship managers, RPSL companies, maritime unions, maritime training institutes, and senior government representatives. The symposium is expected to host 150–250 participants, including serving seafarers and cadets.
As part of the programme, two focused panel discussions have been curated:
1. Seafarer Casualties: Rights, Relief and Responsibility
This session will address issues related to death, missing seafarers, and serious injury, with discussions on compensation mechanisms, insurance and contractual compliance, and coordinated frameworks for ensuring timely financial relief and support to affected families.
2. Seafarers’ Abandonment and Welfare
This panel will examine preventive safeguards, financial security compliance, wage protection, repatriation processes, and ways to strengthen institutional response systems in cases of abandonment.
The symposium is designed to foster meaningful dialogue among regulators, industry, unions, legal experts, and welfare organisations. In addition to the panel discussions, the programme will cover recruitment transparency, grievanceredressal mechanisms, and measures to enhance accountability within the maritime ecosystem.
By inaugurating MMD Patna and the Seafarers’ Outreach Centre, followed by the formal commencement of redevelopment works at Nabik Griha Samity and the Marine Club Kolkata, and by convening this highlevel symposium in the presence of senior leadership of the Ministry and the Directorate, the Directorate General of Shipping reaffirms its commitment to inclusive maritime development, regional outreach, and a welfaredriven approach that prioritises the rights, dignity, and wellbeing of Indian seafarers.