Enforcement of Swimming Pool & Waterbody Requirements for Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs)
The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has issued Training Circular No. 59 of 2025, which serves as an addendum to Training Circular No. 06 of 2025, with the objective of strictly enforcing and operationalising mandatory swimming pool and waterbody requirements for Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs) in India. These directions are issued under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, Merchant Shipping (STCW) Rules, 2014, and the STCW Convention, 1978 (as amended).
Importance of Swimming in Maritime Safety Training
Swimming is recognised as a fundamental survival skill for seafarers. It plays a crucial role in enhancing emergency preparedness, physical fitness, and personal survival capability at sea. Proper swimming training enables seafarers to respond effectively during abandon-ship situations, thereby contributing directly to shipboard safety and loss prevention.
Mandatory Swimming Facilities for Pre-Sea Maritime Training Institutes
All pre-sea Maritime Training Institutes are required to have swimming facilities installed within their approved campus. These facilities are considered an essential component of pre-sea training infrastructure and are intended to instil discipline, confidence, and survival competence in future seafarers. External dependency for swimming training is no longer considered acceptable except where specifically approved by DG Shipping for a limited period.
Swimming Pool Requirements for PST, BST and Refresher Courses
Maritime Training Institutes conducting Personal Survival Techniques (PST), Basic Safety Training (BST), and Refresher PST courses must maintain a swimming pool with prescribed minimum dimensions. The swimming pool must be 50 feet in length, 30 feet in breadth, and have a longitudinal depth ranging from 3 feet at the shallow end to 12 feet at the deepest end. Additionally, a jumping platform with a minimum height of 2 meters from the water surface is mandatory for PST and BST practical training.
Waterbody Requirement for PSCRB Courses
Institutes conducting Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (PSCRB) and Refresher PSCRB courses are prohibited from using swimming pools for practical training. These courses must be conducted only in a dedicated waterbody having a minimum area of 5,500 square meters. The waterbody must support realistic training activities such as lifeboat launching, manoeuvring at speeds up to 6 knots, recovery of survivors, towing operations, and life raft marshalling.
Abolition of Tie-Up Arrangements
The system of tie-ups with external swimming pools or waterbodies has been abolished. Temporary tie-up arrangements are permitted only where explicitly approved by DG Shipping based on inspection and recommendation by the jurisdictional Mercantile Marine Department (MMD). Such approvals remain valid only until 31 December 2025, strictly to allow MTIs time to complete construction of their own approved facilities.
Uniform Implementation from 1 January 2026
With effect from 1 January 2026, all Maritime Training Institutes must fully comply with swimming pool and waterbody requirements. Any MTI found non-compliant after this date will be prohibited from conducting courses requiring swimming or waterbody training. No new MTI approvals will be granted for pre-sea or post-sea courses such as BST, PST, PSCRB, or refresher courses unless all infrastructure requirements are fulfilled.
Distance Norms for Training Facilities
Where swimming pools, fire mock-ups, or waterbody facilities are owned and operated by the same MTI or group, the maximum permissible distance from the approved main campus shall not exceed 80 kilometres. If the distance exceeds 10 kilometres, the MTI must clearly disclose travel distance and logistics to candidates at the time of admission.
Maintenance, Hygiene and Safety Standards
MTIs must ensure that swimming pools are maintained in accordance with hygiene and safety standards prescribed by local authorities. Continuous 24-hour CCTV surveillance of the swimming pool and surrounding area is mandatory. A filtration system suitable for the full pool volume must be installed and operated for at least two hours before and after each training session.
Water quality standards must be strictly maintained with chlorine levels at 2.0 ppm within an acceptable range of 1.0 to 3.0 ppm, and pH levels between 7.2 and 7.8. Chlorine testing must be conducted 45 minutes prior to each training session with samples collected from multiple points. Water testing must be carried out only through NABL-accredited laboratories at intervals defined in the institute’s quality system. All washroom facilities adjoining the swimming pool must be cleaned and sanitised daily.
Record-Keeping and Regulatory Oversight
MTIs are required to maintain complete operational and safety records for a minimum period of five years. These records must include CCTV footage, daily maintenance logs, training session records, filtration system operation logs, water quality test reports, and cleaning schedules. All records must be verified daily by designated instructors and course in-charges and produced on demand to inspecting authorities.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Any failure to comply with the provisions of this circular, including non-availability of records, incomplete documentation, or falsification of data, will be treated as a serious regulatory violation. Such violations may result in suspension or withdrawal of course approvals in addition to any other action deemed appropriate by the Directorate General of Shipping.
Verification and Applicable Fees
MTIs that have completed construction of swimming pools or waterbody facilities after the issuance of Training Circular No. 06 of 2025 must apply to the jurisdictional MMD for facility verification along with a prescribed fee of ₹25,000. Failure to obtain verification will result in automatic withdrawal of courses requiring swimming pool or waterbody usage with effect from 10 January 2026.
Conclusion
Training Circular No. 59 of 2025 reinforces the Directorate General of Shipping’s commitment to uniform safety standards and high-quality maritime training. All Maritime Training Institutes are required to ensure immediate and complete compliance to safeguard seafarer preparedness, training integrity, and regulatory discipline across India’s maritime education sector.
