Directorate General of Shipping (DGS)
The Directorate General of Shipping is the apex maritime regulatory authority of India under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. It regulates merchant shipping, seafarer certification, maritime safety, and port administration in India.
- Established under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 — the principal legislation governing Indian merchant shipping
- Head: Director General of Shipping (DGS); headquartered in Mumbai
- Key functions: (1) Administers Merchant Shipping Act — flag state control over Indian-registered vessels; (2) Seafarer training and certification (STCW compliance); (3) Port State Control inspections of foreign vessels; (4) Coastal shipping regulation; (5) Circular/advisory issuance during emergencies
- DGS is separate from port authorities (which manage individual ports) and from DGFT (which manages export-import licensing)
- Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW): nodal ministry; also oversees Sagarmala programme
● Tracked since March 03, 2026 · last seen April 12, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief