Outline of Rules made under the Merchant Shipping Act

Outline of Rules made under the Merchant Shipping Act

Indian Merchant Shipping Act: The Outline of the rules covered by the MS Act is given below for easy reference. You can click here to get the complete MS Act in pdf 

PART I – PARAMILITARY

1. Application of Act

Part II – NATIONAL SHIPPING BOARD

1. Establishment of National Shipping Board
2. Functions of National Shipping Board

Part III – GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

1. Director-General of Shipping
2. Mercantile Marine Department
3. Surveyors
4. Radio inspectors
5. Shipping offices
6. Seamens employment offices
7. Seamens welfare officers

Part IV – SHIPPING DEVELOPMENT FUND

1. Application of the Shipping Development Fund

Part V – REGISTRATION OF INDIAN SHIPS

1. Procedure for registration
2. Certificate of registry
3. Transfers of ships, shares, etc
4. Registry of alterations, registry anew and transfer of registry
5. National character and flag
6. Miscellaneous

Part VI – CERTIFICATES OF OFFICERS

1. Masters, mates and engineers

Part VII – SEAMEN AND APPRENTICES

1. Shipping masters
2. Apprenticeship to the sea service
3. Seamen’s employment offices
4. Engagement of seamen
5. Employment of young persons
6. Engagement of seamen by masters of ships other than Indian ships
7. Discharge of seamen
8. Payment of wages
9. Advance and allotment of wages
10. Rights of seamen in repeat of wages
11. Mode of recovering wages
12. Power of courts to rescind contracts
13. Disputes between seaman and employers
14. Property of deceased seamen and apprentices
15. Distressed seamen
16. Provisions, health and accommodation
17. Special provisions for the protection of seamen in respect of litigation
18. Provisions for the protection of seaman in respect of other mattress
19. Provisions as to discipline
20. Official logs
21. National Welfare Board for Seafarers

Part VIII – PASSENGER SHIPS

1. Survey of passenger ships
2. Keeping order in passenger ships
3. Unberthed passenger ships and pilgrim ships
4. Special provisions relating to unberthed passenger ships

Part IX – SAFETY

1. Construction of ships
2. Prevention of collisions
3. Life saving appliance and fire appliance
4. Installation of radio telegraphy, radio telephony and direction finders
5. Signalling lamps
6. Stability information
7. Load line certificates
8. Special provisions as to ships other than Indian ships
9. Dangerous goods and grain cargoes
10. Sub-division load lines
11. Unseaworthy ships
12. Detention of unsafe ships by the Central Government
13. Costs of detention and damages incidental thereto

PART X – COLLISIONS, ACCIDENTS AT SEA AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

1. Division of loss in case of collision
2. Damages for personal injury
3. Collision to be entered in official log
4. Report to Central Government of accidents to ships
5. Limitation of liability of owner for damage

Part XI – NAVIGATION

1. Duty to report dangers to navigation
2. Obligation to render assistance on receiving signal of distress

Part XII – INVESTIGATIONS AND INQUIRIES

1. Central Government
2. Marine BOARD
3. Miscellaneous provisions relating to cancellation and suspension of certificates
4. Re-hearing of cases
5. Courts of Survey
6. Scientific referees
7. Investigations into explosions or fires onboard ships

Part XIII – WRECK AND SALVAGE

1. Wreck
2. Salvage

Part XIV – CONTROL OF INDIAN SHIPS AND SHIPS ENGAGED IN COASTING TRADE

1. Indian ships and chartered ships to be licensed
2. Licensing of ships for coasting trade
3. No port clearance until licence is produced
4. Power to make rules

Part XV – SAILING VESSELS

1. Certificate of registry
2. Certificate of inspection
3. Transfer of registry
4. Restrictions on transfer of sailing vessels

Part XVI – PENALTIES AND PROCEDURE

1. Penalties

Part XVII – MISCELLANEOUS

1. No person to practice as ship surveyor unless qualified
2. Power of ship surveyor to inspect ship
3. General power to make rules

Part XVIII – REPEALS AND SAVINGS