Attention of all concerned is invited to regulation I/8 of the STCW Convention 1978 as amended in 1995, and rule 7 of MS (STCW), Rules 1998 wherein it is mentioned that all Maritime Training shall be covered by quality standard system.

2. In compliance to the aforesaid requirement, the Directorate, while granting approval to conduct Maritime Training, has been asking Training Institutes to cover Maritime Training under applicable quality standard system within a period of six months from date of approval.

3. In accordance with Para 1.23 of the recently issued DGS order No. 1 of 2003, every institute shall have an established quality system of the applicable ISO standard, or approved equivalent, within six months of the commencement of its first DGS-approved course and any new DGS approved course thereafter.

4. ISO 9001:2000 (E) comes into full force with effect from 14th December 2003 when the existing standard i.e. ISO 9002:1994 gets obsolete. This is also evident from all certificates issued under ISO 9002:1994 which expires on 14th December 2003. It has come to notice of the Directorate that some of the training institutes have already obtained external accreditation under the new quality standards i.e. ISO 9001:2000 (E) and rest are believed to be in process of conversion to new standard in compliance to Regulation I/8 of the STCW Convention as amended in 1995 and rule 7 of M.S. (STCW), Rules 1998.

5. In view of foregoing, all Maritime Training Institute, conducting Directorate's approved courses, are urged to initiate necessary measures in due course so as to obtain external accreditation under ISO 9001:2000 (E) by 14th December 2003. Institutes not in possession of external accreditation under ISO-9001: 2000 (E) shall not be allowed to conduct Directorate's approved courses after December, 2003.

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