{"id":75,"date":"2025-06-12T13:09:30","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T13:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/?p=75"},"modified":"2025-06-13T12:39:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T12:39:48","slug":"dg-shipping-rejects-doc-renewal-for-itt-shipping-amid-safety-violations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/dg-shipping-rejects-doc-renewal-for-itt-shipping-amid-safety-violations\/","title":{"rendered":"Directorate General of Shipping Rejects DOC Renewal for ITT Shipping Pvt Ltd Amid Safety Violations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In a significant move to uphold maritime safety standards, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dgshipping.gov.in\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.dgshipping.gov.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Directorate General of Shipping (DGS)<\/a>, Government of India, has officially rejected the application for renewal of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalbabu.com\/document-of-compliance-certification\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.legalbabu.com\/document-of-compliance-certification\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Document of Compliance (DOC)<\/a> submitted by <strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/rpsl\/itt-shipping-private-limited-rpsl-kol-007\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/rpsl\/itt-shipping-private-limited-rpsl-kol-007\/\">ITT Shipping (Private) Limited<\/a><\/strong>, Kolkata. The decision, issued on <strong>May 23, 2025<\/strong>, comes after a series of grave safety violations, a fatal vessel sinking, and repeated non-compliance with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Background: Fatal Sinking of ITT Puma<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The alarm was first raised following the <strong>sinking of the cargo vessel ITT Puma on August 25, 2024<\/strong>, en route from Kolkata to Port Blair. The tragic incident, which occurred 78 nautical miles southeast of Sagar Island, led to the <strong>disappearance of three crew members, including the Master and Chief Officer<\/strong>. A statutory Preliminary Inquiry revealed severe lapses in safety compliance, cargo handling, manning, and emergency preparedness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Systemic Failures Uncovered<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The DOC renewal audit, conducted on <strong>April 3, 2025<\/strong>, uncovered <strong>three major non-conformities and five additional safety violations<\/strong>. These included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Inadequate maintenance of critical equipment and spare part inventory<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Employment of a 74-year-old Master without a valid medical certificate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improper cargo loading and stowage in violation of the IMSBC Code<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Failure to man vessels with certified and medically fit crew<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outdated emergency procedures and inadequate emergency drills<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Non-reporting of major incidents including collisions and flooding<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Legal Battle and High Court Directives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than responding to the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dgshipping.gov.in\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.dgshipping.gov.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> DGS<\/a>&#8216;s Show Cause Notice, the company approached the <strong>Hon\u2019ble High Court of Calcutta<\/strong>, seeking to challenge the Directorate\u2019s jurisdiction. While the Court temporarily permitted vessel operations, it directed the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dgshipping.gov.in\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.dgshipping.gov.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DGS<\/a> to make a final decision on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalbabu.com\/document-of-compliance-certification\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.legalbabu.com\/document-of-compliance-certification\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DOC renewal<\/a> by <strong>May 26, 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite multiple opportunities and extended deadlines, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/rpsl\/itt-shipping-private-limited-rpsl-kol-007\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/rpsl\/itt-shipping-private-limited-rpsl-kol-007\/\">ITT Shipping<\/a>&#8216;s corrective submissions were found <strong>incomplete and unsatisfactory<\/strong> by the auditors. Their failure to effectively close the major non-conformities raised concerns about their commitment to safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recurring Safety Incidents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This rejection is not an isolated action but stems from a <strong>pattern of repeated safety violations<\/strong>, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sinking of ITT Panther (2017)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Collision of ITT Leopard with the Indian Coast Guard vessel (2023)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Failure of ITT Jaguar to assist a distressed vessel post-collision (2023)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Flooding of ITT Leopard due to maintenance neglect (2025)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These incidents underline a <strong>systemic breakdown in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/rpsl\/itt-shipping-private-limited-rpsl-kol-007\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/rpsl\/itt-shipping-private-limited-rpsl-kol-007\/\">ITT Shipping<\/a>\u2019s safety management system<\/strong> and disregard for maritime regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Verdict and Way Forward<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on the findings, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dgshipping.gov.in\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.dgshipping.gov.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DGS<\/a> has <strong>officially declared DOC No. DGS\/DOC\/2011377 issued on 01.06.2020 as invalid<\/strong>, effectively <strong>prohibiting the company from operating any vessel under the Indian flag<\/strong> without a valid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalbabu.com\/document-of-compliance-certification\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.legalbabu.com\/document-of-compliance-certification\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DOC<\/a>. The order cites Rule 5(6) of the Merchant Shipping (Safe Operation of Ships) Rules, 2000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/rpsl\/itt-shipping-private-limited-rpsl-kol-007\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/rpsl\/itt-shipping-private-limited-rpsl-kol-007\/\">ITT Shipping Pvt Ltd<\/a> has been advised that it may <strong>appeal this decision<\/strong> under Section 13 of Merchant Shipping Notice 9 of 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This development serves as a strong reminder to Indian ship owners and technical managers: <strong>compliance with the ISM Code is non-negotiable<\/strong>. The DGS\u2019s decisive action reinforces its commitment to protecting lives at sea and ensuring environmental sustainability in maritime operations.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a significant move to uphold maritime safety standards, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), Government of India, has officially rejected the application for renewal of the Document of Compliance (DOC) submitted by ITT Shipping (Private) Limited, Kolkata. The decision, issued on May 23, 2025, comes after a series of grave safety violations, a fatal &#8230; <a title=\"Directorate General of Shipping Rejects DOC Renewal for ITT Shipping Pvt Ltd Amid Safety Violations\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/dg-shipping-rejects-doc-renewal-for-itt-shipping-amid-safety-violations\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Directorate General of Shipping Rejects DOC Renewal for ITT Shipping Pvt Ltd Amid Safety Violations\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marine"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82,"href":"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75\/revisions\/82"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.indosearch.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}