News & Views - The TMI-BITS DLC Newsletter

December 2004 Issue 05/2004

Notice to Students Completing Their Diploma

When students complete their sea-time, they usually visit our office to complete the paperwork and formalities. Ideally this should be done first and the DLP completion certificate obtained prior to enrolling for their functions course.

However we find that a lot of students commence their functions course before completing the formalities here. As a result, they end up in a situation where they need to unexpectedly spend a lot of time in our office doing retests, pending CRB tasks and awaiting the certificate to return from the nautical college after assessment. This often creates a big problem for them in terms of getting their certificates in time, often resulting in missing their examinations.

We therefore strongly advise all students to first complete all the procedures required, obtain their completion certificate, and only then commence the functions course, to avoid difficulties.

Corresponding With Us :

Students are advised that when corresponding with the Institute, specially by e-mail, they should indicate clearly their full particulars viz. Name, ID or enrolment number and company name.

Semester D - Payment of Fees :

The Institute hitherto had been extending the facility of deferred payment of fees to Semester D students at the time of enrolment to ease their financial burden. However, it is observed that some of the students who availed this facility neither showed any progress in the program nor honoured their commitment to pay the fees on the due date. Undoubtedly, this has resulted in avoidable correspondence apart from attracting severe audit objections. Hence, regretfully, this facility of deferred payment of fees is withdrawn with immediate effect.

Such students, if unable to pay the full fees at the time of enrolment to Semester D, shall follow the following process:

• Pay a minimum of Rs 2000/- by cash or by DD against a receipt as advance of fees.
• Obtain the signature of the CTO on the application form.
• Submit a post-dated cheque of a local bank three months from the day of registration for the balance amount. The post-dated cheque shall be presented to the bank for realisation on the date without reference to the student.

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From The Editor’s Desk…..

We finally received a printable response from one of our students from Eurasia International, Singapore. The following is the letter we received from cadet Akash Rana from the M. T. Grandking, in response to our July “News & Views” :

I would sincerely want to thank you for the tips, which you have given us in July 2004 edition of ‘ News & Views’. Frankly telling you sir, being a fresh first ship cadet I noticed a drastic change of life on board. I never expected this type of atmosphere on ship. After studying with such high grades I didn’t expect people on board would treat a cadet like this. Even a crew member tries to boss around excessively with a cadet because of which he really feels very degraded. This was a big turn off for me and at one point I seriously thought of quitting sea life in the initial stage, but when I read your tips in the “ News & Views” stating that “ You will be given menial tasks, don’t forget, we all have done them” boosted me with more energy and motivation to carry on my career with much more dedication and high spirits!

It really feels very nice when a cadet at sea receive his copy of “News & Views” and feels that back there ashore there is some authorized body who is taking care of a cadet’s interests and future, by applying innovative ideas, since we don’t have an association for officers in India like ‘ NUMAST’ of U.K. who actively take care of the interests of a cadet to a Senior Master.

The fact of the matter is that seafaring has to be made much more attractive option for today’s youngsters who live in a digitally shrinking global village called Earth, and simply can not digest the thought of being cut off from rest of the world for any length of time. E-mail is not good enough for them and they don’t like their hands getting dirty. They don’t want be a ‘Seaman’ first and ‘Officer’ later by learning the basics of seamanship. Seniors like you need to monitor us youngsters in an innovative way so we can be assured of the rewards of a successful career at sea, and carry on the dominance of Indian officers in the seafaring world.

- by Cdt. Akash Rana
M.T. Grandking.

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Students Views :

Here is a different viewpoint on the degree course, conveyed by one of our students.

In a recent “News & Views” we had raised a query as to why our students were not enrolling for the degree course.

Informatively the degree course gives a student an opportunity to obtain a degree while he is pursuing his competency studies. The degree course besides the technical subjects covers the following additional subjects to ensure education and competence

• Communications
• Marine power plants
• Maritime legislation
• Commercial knowledge
• Risk management through marine insurance and the P&I Clubs
• Operational management
• Financial management
• Human resource management
• Research methodology

In the final semester the student is given a chance to work in a marine establishment ashore to get a first hand knowledge of how the “other side” works.

To our query we received one reply from a student studying presently in the degree course. We are not replying to each of these points at this stage but are reproducing the gist of the same.

Would our students consider these and give us their views?

• The diploma is forced on the students and gives them 12 month freedom from the hard work on vessel. The degree course does not allow such liberty even though it offers a degree and to some extent prepares students for the next exams.
• Very few of us have merchant navy as the first choice of our career. The studious ones don’t come here and only boys exhausted with other options come here.
• Extensive studies are not necessary for STCW examinations and studies as required in the degree course are not necessary. Why should one study for all those enjoyable years on board (and perhaps ashore)!
• All the managers, superintendents, CEO's of companies who have been Master Mariners are on high posts without any other feathers to their cap apart from the experience on the sea with their competency certificate and without degree.
• It would therefore be better if the Master’s COC is given recognition as a degree.
• The number of tasks has been drastically reduced. It may allow many students who dropped out to reconsider and start again. It is unlikely many would like to study after their work.
• It is important for you to project the course as the next step after Masters and inform the student the scope of the vast field beyond the vessel rather than the competency course itself.
• Passing the competency exams in India like standing in a queue and waiting for your turn to come!

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Effective Communication :

_by Capt. Rahul Sharma (TMI DLP)

Communication plays an important role in every organization. Individuals have to acquire proficiency in communication to perform in his professional tasks efficiently.

In your workplace you will need to communicate with a range of different people.

To do this effectively you need to understand that there are many factors to consider when composing and delivering your message to ensure it serves the desired purpose. With the rapidly increasing phenomena of globalisation , correct communication is becoming vitally important not just from the point of view of good management and results but also from the point of view of legal safety! Minor linguistic variations due to difference in cultural backgrounds often result in legal complications resulting in very expensive lawsuits!

When communicating:

• You prepare your message using words that are familiar to you - you 'encode' the message
• Then you transmit the message
• The recipient then 'decodes' your message based on his own preferred wording and language

Problems arise if your message is 'decoded' in a different way to the way you 'encoded' it.

For example, when you are communicating with people from a different technical background or a different age range, or with people with a different language.

Consider the type of language that the recipients are familiar with and adjust your message accordingly. You must express your message in a clear, unambiguous way.

Communication is a 2-way process. You need to check your message has been received as intended (decoded). Get the recipient’s feed-back on their understanding of your message by:

• Checking their reaction to the message
• Asking them a question
• Asking for feedback

Each person has his own view of reality. In other words, a group of people may:

• Physically see or hear the same thing, but have their own version of what is seen or heard
• Hear or read the same message, but apply a different interpretation to it
• We interpret information further by making inferences and drawing conclusions

The below mentioned humorous item, which has been around for some time, adequately illustrates the importance of carrying out an effective verbal communication.

The Captain informed the Chief Officer to pass on this message to the Crew:

Early tomorrow morning there will be a total solar eclipse at 0900hrs. This is something that cannot be seen every day, so let the crew line up in their best clothes on deck in order that they may see it. To mark this rare phenomenon I will myself explain it to them. If it is raining, we will not be able to see it clearly. In that case the crew should gather in the mess-room.

The Chief Officer passed it to the Second Officer:

On Captain's orders there will be a total solar eclipse early tomorrow at 0900hrs. If it is raining, we will not be able to see it clearly from deck in our best clothes. In that case the sun's disappearance will be fully observed in the mess-room. This is something that does not happen everyday.

The Second Officer further passed on the following information to the Third Officer

On Captain's Orders we shall fully observe in our best clothes that the sun disappears in the mess-room at 0900hrs. The captain will tell us if it is going to rain. This is something that does not happen every day.

The Third Officer then called for the Bosun and asked him to inform the following to the Crew

If it is raining in the mess-room early tomorrow, which is something that does not happen everyday, the Captain in his best clothes will disappear at 0900hrs.

Finally this is what the Crew heard from the Bosun

Early tomorrow at 0900hrs the Captain will disappear. It is a pity that this does not happen everyday.

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Our Progress

The student strength of the Institute as on 15 Nov ’04 was as follows :

805 students have been awarded Diploma in Nautical Sciences as on 15 Nov ’04.

The following cadets have passed the Diploma in Nautical Sciences (Phase 1 of BS Programme) since we published our last Newsletter, obtaining grades as stated:

05 cadets have obtained more than 75% marks (Excellent Grade), 41 obtained more than 60% (Good Grade) and 09 passed with 50% or more marks (Fair Grade).

Well Done!

Condolence Message

With deep shock we regret to inform all our readers of the untimely demise of Capt. H.S. Oberoi, the officer- in charge of FOSMA Maritime Institute and Research Organisation and our Counsellor at Delhi.

In his death we have indeed lost an esteemed colleague and a thorough gentleman.

May his departed soul rest in peace.

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