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File No:- ENG/FS|/66(1 t2OO7 _p arl

Subject: - Flaq State hspect

A. Background
'l' Recognizing that Articre 217 of UNCLos,
i9g2 requires Frag states to carry out
periodicar inspections to ensure
that the condition of the vessers under their
frag
corresponds to the certificates the vesser is
hording. Further, the crause 20, parl
ll of the IMO lll Code requires Flag state to establish or participate
in an
oversight programme to monitor its recognized
organization(s) to ensure that s
international obligations are fully met.
2 Reca ing the Government of rndia poricy of "Ease in doing business,, and
"Minimum Government Maximum Governance,,
the changes, if any, in regulatory
enforcement should be designed to achieve this policy.
3. Mindful of the fact that shipping industry is reering
under severe cost constraint
and any change in reguratory enforcement shourd not put
additionar financiar
burden to this industry under recessionary cycle.
4' Mindful also of the fact that the Frag state
rnspection schedure given by
Merchant shipping Notice 19 of 2013 is a risk based inspection
regime and risk
is based on the age of the vesser (except passenger ships) irrespective
of the
size and type of the vessel.
5. Realizing that vide MS Notice 19 of 2013 issued in september 2013, the
Directorate has streamlined Flag state lnspection regime based
on the good port
 state control performance of lndian Flag vessels and perceived that there is
continual trend of reduced Port state detentions of lndian Flag vessels (6 in 2013
compared to 10 in 2012 and 13 in 2011).
6. Taking cognizance of the representation of lndian National Ship Owners
Association (INSA) to extend reward (by way of exemption from annual general
examination of vessels plying in foreign waters) to all those vessels which
demonstrate good performance under port state inspection by certain countries
under TOKYO MOU, Paris MOU, AMSA & USCG by certain exemption from
mandatory annual general examination in lieu of Flag State inspection in foreign
waters is being considered now.
7. Assimilating the urgent need to have an improved port State Control
performance of lndian FIag vessels especially in the paris & Tokyo MOU, where
lndia Flag performance is below par and lndian Flag is in the grey tist of their
Flag performance charts.
8. The statistics of Flag State lnspection and port State lnspections for the calendar
years 2015 & 2016 have revealed a high number of detentions of ship less than
25 years of age and particularly less than 15 years of age. These findings of
have raised concern about safety and environmental performance of lndian Flag
vessels less than 25 years of age during Port state and Flag State inspections.
Therefore, in consideration of the representation of INSA and the finding of the
Directorate on the performance of the vessels of less than 25 years under Flag
Sate implementation and Port State lnspeclion, the Directorate has now (after
nearly 4 years of administering the inspection regime of MS Notice 19 of 2013)
reviewed its Flag State inspection regime. Simalar such reviews will be continued
in future based on various relevant factors for achleving good performances of
lndian Flag vessels so as to suitably reward the good performing vessel and
targeting the poor performing vessels under the inspection regime of Flag State
implementation and Port State inspections.
B. Applicability
1. This Merchant Shipping Notice is applicable to all vessels (including River Sea
Vessels as per DGS Order 18 of 2013 and lndian Coastal Vessels as per DGS
 Order 1 of 2014) registered under Merchant Shipping Act 1958, as amended and
is applicable from the date of issue. lt supersedes the following MS Notice:
- MS Notice 19 of 2013 dated 3d September 2013.
- MS Notice 22 of 2011 dated 24th August2O11.
- MS Notice 06 of 2011 dated 26th April 20,11.
- Corrigendum to MS Notice 6 of 2011 dated 2nd May 2011.
- MS Notice 14 of 2010 dated 13th September 2010.
- Engineering Circular No. 96 dated 1sth October 200g.

C. Scheduled Flag State Inspections

6rrr^
or.rY(,. tYpe ano Aqe ot
I
Shrp
1. Passenger Ship Every calendar year, after 3 m@
Ship Safety Certificate suryey, but before 3
- months of the date of expiry of the same.
-
2. Cargo Sliip (0-5 One lnspection between 1 - 3 montns after fire
years of age) completion of 1't complete lntermediate Statutory
surveys.
3. Cargo Ship Once in 2 years, that is, between 1-3 months after
(5-15 years of age) completion of every alternate
annual/intermediate/renewal statutory survey as
the case may be.
4. Cargo Ship Every year and between 1-3 months after
(15 years and above) completion of annual/intermediate/renewal
statutory survey as the case may be.
 Note: Time gap between two FSI is linked to every
alternate
annual/intermediate/renewal survey for Sl. No.
3 and every
annual/intermediate/renewar statutory survey for
Sr. No. 4, and may exceed
stipulated 2 years and 1 year respecilvely, but the FSI in no case should be
carried out before/after 1-3 months of the compretion of concerned
annual/intermediate/special survey as the case
may be.
2. lndian Flag vessels trading abroad and have completed
annuar/intermediate/renewar statutory surveys as
the case may be in foreign
shores and is not scheduled to touch rndian shores
between 1-3 months after the
said surveys shall undergo a ,,General Examination,,
equivalent to an Annual
survey by any Recognized organization, which has
not conducted the said
statutory surveys between 1-3 months after the completion of said
annuar/intermediate/renewar statutory survey.
The frequency of such generar
examination is to be not ress than that of Frag
State rnspections. However, in
case of port state detention, the directorate reserves
the right to increase the
frequency of flag state inspections/generar examination
of said/afl vesset/s
managed/owned by the detained vessel,s company.
3 Continuing its practice of
rewarding quarity ships, the directorate has now
decided to grant exemption from next FSr/Generar
Examination to those vessers
which has satisfactoriry undergone aI psc inspection (since
rast generar
examination or Flag state lnspection) under paris
Mou, uscc or in countries
such as Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore,
Republic of Korea, New
zearand and canada (under Tokyo tr/oU), without any
detainabre deficiency and
the total number of deficiencies do not exceed five(S).
4. The Flag state rnspection and Generar Examination unrike the port state
lnspection shourd be a comprehensive and detaired inspection covering a
aspects of the statutory certificates issued to the vesser irrespective of the
presence/absence of clear grounds.
5. lndian vessers prying abroad are generaly crassed with an
additionar |ACS
member, besides rndian Register of Shipping (rRS). of these
two, the R.o. that
has not carried out the last statutory surveys of the vessel, shall
carry out a
 general examination. General examination in respect of vessel which are not dual
class, can be done through any of the Recognized organization as per choice of
the owner.
6. lf any serious deficiencies are observed by the Ros which in their judgement
may affect the safety of the vessel, crew or marine environment, they are
reguired to inform the Port state control cell of the Directorate forthwith, for
initiating suitable action, before the vessel is allowed to leave the port.
7. The payment for the services rendered by the ROs shall be setfled by the ship
owners.
D. Un Scheduled Flag State lnspections
1. Notwithstanding the above, the present regime of carrying out,FSl by surprise
inspection' and reporting thereto shall continue as it is. However, any vessel
which has been subjected to FSI or General examination need not be subjected
to "FSl by surprise inspection' again, within a period of six months from the date
of such FS|/General Examination, unless otherwise decided by the concerned
Principal Officer or Directorate General of Shipping due to bona-fide complaints
against the seaworthiness of the vessel, or particularly if, any Surveyor, pilot,
Harbor Master or Deputy Conservator reports any major deficiencies pertaining
to the vessel.
2. Any FSI undertaken as part of surprise inspection shall not be taken into
consideration for the purpose cf minimum number of scheduled FS ! refened
under Section 'C' above, unless after a review of inspection report by the
concerned Principal Officer a suitable recommendation is made to the
Directorate.
3. Any FSI by surprise after six months of the last FS|/General examination may
take into consideration (apart from bona-fide complaints) the following
parameters prior deciding to conduct the said FSI:
- Age of the vessel > 12 Years
- And/or managed by a Company whose one of the vessel has been detained
under Flag Stale lnspection, General examination or Port State lnspection in
previous 12 months.
 E. Flag State Computerized lnformation System(FSCIS)
l The Directorate is maintaining a web-based centrarized
computer information
system for a' the ships under the rndian registry
for the benefit of the
stakeholders.
2. Companies, RO,s and MMD,s are required to
upload all the inspection reports
under the General examination and FSl, to this
data base within 2 working days
of the inspection/examination.
3 lt is company responsibirity to ensure that the generar examination initiar
and
rectification (foilow up) report is uproaded by
the recognized organization on the
FSCIS within the stiputated time period.
F. Verification and monitoring:
1. The comprianceof this notice shal be verified during the annuar
Doc audit of the
company and any non_compliance may be notified
as Non-Conformity to be
compreted within a period of 1 Month. The corrective and preventive action
shourd incrude increased frequency of flag state
inspection of the said vessel
and/or other vessels managed by the company.
2 The company shourd initiate procedures to comply
with this notice after the next
due annual/intermediate/renewal statutory surveys.
3' The procedure for apprication for Frag state rnspection
is avairabre
on DG
website in the section standard operating procedures
(sop) and can be
accessed via the following website:
http://www.dgshipping. gov. inAturiteReadData/userfires/fire/sop_mmd_091
216. pdf

nt Rai
Engineer & Ship Surveyor_cum_D_DG (tech)
To,
1. The Principar officer, Mercantire Marine department,
Mumbai/ Korkata/ chennai/ cochin.
2. The Surveyor-in-cha rge, Mercantile
Marine Departmen,, C"Jl.in.C..U port Blair/
Visakhapatanam / Tuticorin/ Delhi/ H atdia/ paiadip/
rra"ngrl;r..
3. All Classification Socities.