Puducherry-based Marine Officers’ Training Academy (MOTA) has been barred from business as one of the worst offenders in India’s sprawling fake seafarer certificates scandal. The director general of shipping has revoked the academy’s licence, the Hindu Business Line reports, for for flouting training rules, including issuing fake certificates to candidates who had not completed sufficient training.
At least 476 seafarers received fake certifications from the academy.
Late last month the government declared a one-off amnesty scheme for 3,762 seafarers it has found obtained fake certificates from five training institutes, including MOTA, without completing the necessary training. MOTA is the second maritime training institute to be barred following Cuddalore-based Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Institute of Maritime Science and Engineering.
The government had barred these seafarers from working from last July but has now allowed them to take new courses at approved training institutes to restart their careers.
