No more scramble for CDC, it goes online

No application will be accepted in person

Source:http://www.sagarsandesh.com/news/no-more-scramble-for-cdc-it-goes-online/

Bringing an end to the ordeal of hordes of seafarers swarming the Shipping Master’s Office for Continuous Discharge Certificates (CDCs), DG Shipping has adopted a passport e-governance kind of online application model to ‘individual category CDC’ applicants where an individual can go to the DG Shipping website, log in and fill up the relevant details and take the print out of the filled-in form and enclose it with appropriate testimonials that can apparently be dispatched to the respective Shipping Masters’ Office.

The enabling of electronic submission for CDC and postal submission of print outs obviate the hassles of personal commuting of seafarers to the Shipping Master’s Office with the DG Shipping strictly directing that ‘No application will be accepted in person’, say the industry watchers.

However, electronic mode of submission is not applicable to institutional CDCs in respect of cadets, TMEs, petty officers and ratings that have undergone pre-sea training courses approved by DGS and they are instructed to forward their applications through their Maritime Training Institutes in accordance with the MS notice 18 of 2002 dated Sept. 5, 2002 and 4 of 2007 dated April 9, 2007. Shipping Master’s Office should not entertain individual applications in respect of these candidates.

DG Shipping on Oct. 30, 2013 issued a notification that CDC in the ‘individual category’ henceforth should be applied online. The notification says: “The process of application for such individual category CDCs has been rendered online. A person eligible for such a CDC and who wishes to obtain the same in any of the individual category, shall, henceforth, apply electronically”. DG Shipping has further directed all Shipping Masters, Government shipping offices, to process and issue individual categories CDC as per the guidelines issued for electronic submission of applications.

A candidate desiring to apply for individual category CDC needs to enter the DG Shipping portal and click eGovernance menu option on the left-hand side of the main page and enter the user name and password on the login page. 
In the next subsequent page having indexed menu and sub menu options of Ships, Seafarers, Independent Modules, the candidate should choose CDC sub menu option under Seafarers main menu index. In the following page, applicant should click on ‘apply for fresh CDC (form A)’ and fill in appropriate particulars including personal, STCW, medical certificate, category, fee details and attach soft copies of the requisite documents and press the submit button for registration. Post registration, applicant should take a print out of the filled in application form to be dispatched to the respective Shipping Masters’ Offices.

Similar to passport online verification of status, CDC individual category candidates can track their application status on the same eGovernance page of DG Shipping website.

Checklist and instructions for electronic submission of individual category CDC

Candidates should ensure their eligibility as per M.S.CDC rules, 2001 & DGS orders, MS notices, circulars issued subsequently from time to time, before filling up the form electronically.
The applicants must ensure that they have registered online at DG Shipping website their seafarer’s profile registration.
Applicants also have to update their Seafarers Profile Registration (SPR) in case they wish to update their data before applying for CDC online. If the new data are not updated in the SPR, the old data available in the SPR only will be migrated to the CDC online application.
The declaration and specimen signatures are common to all the applicants, column number is applicable depending on the category of CDC being applied for and only the concerned enclosures appearing there in for the specific category are to be enclosed.
While sending the application no original certificates/documents are to be sent along with the application form except DD and Affidavit. Applicants should submit photocopies of relevant certificates/documents, as applicable, and as appearing in the application print out from submitted online, shall be submitted by the applicants, by self-attesting their certificates and other documents, along with their name in full and date of self-attestation there under along with the non-refundable fee of Rs. 500 account payee Demand Draft  in original drawn in favour of Shipping Master (name and application details should be written on reverse side of DD), concerned payable at city of Shipping Master concerned and should be kept on top of the application.
Copy of valid passport front 2 and last page and entries of immigration stamping corresponding to the sea service is required to be enclosed for applicants who apply in the experience category as per DGS order No 8 of 2013.
The statues of application, duly submitted online followed by submission of hard copies, can be viewed by the applicant.
The status of application with reasons of rejection of application shall be available online and can be accessed and viewed by the applicant. In the case of rejection, no intimation shall be given through letter by post.
Envelope containing the application, i.e. print out of application submitted online, should clearly indicate the category of CDC applied for on the top left hand side on the envelope in block letters.
No application will be accepted in person and applications can be sent by registered/speed post/courier service to the respective Shipping Master’s Offices in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.