🇮🇳 India — DGMA tracker
India — DGMA tracker
Urgent Official
New rules for the medicine chest and ship doctors on Indian ships
If you sail on an Indian ship of 200 GT or more, on international voyages or in coasting trade, the medicine chest rules have changed. The new rules are the Merchant Shipping (Medicines, Medical Stores, Appliances, and Medical Officers) Rules, 2026. They are G.S.R. 817(E), dated 16 September 2026, now posted by DGMA. They replace the 1994 medical stores rules and the 1961 medical officer rules. The master must keep an up-to-date record of all medicines. The medical stores must be inspected at least once every 12 months. Poisons and controlled substances need a separate register. Every Indian ship carrying more than 100 persons must carry a medical officer (Rule 20).
What to do: Masters and 2/Os: check that your medical chest certificate is less than 12 months old and that the poisons register is kept separate. Accept only medicines with at least one year of shelf life left when bought (Rule 14). If the ship will not call at an Indian port for over 12 months, arrange the annual check by a foreign port health authority or a recognised doctor (Rule 9(3)).
Affects: Masters, 2/Os in charge of the medical stores, managers of Indian ships of 200 GT and above When: 16 Sep 2026 (date of publication)
🛡️ Security
Security
Urgent Reported
Black Sea: drones sink a cargo ship off Bulgaria, 11 of her crew missing
gCaptain reported on 13 October that drones sank the Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship HS Dignity off Krapets, Bulgaria, near the Romanian border. Of her crew, 5 were rescued and 11 were missing. Nearby, the Malta-flagged Chelsea-3 was hit by three drones but did not sink, and all her crew were rescued. A week earlier, ten seafarers were lost when another ship was hit by drones in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.
What to do: Trading to Romanian or Bulgarian ports? Follow your company's Black Sea security plan and flag advice. Keep lookouts for drones day and night. When a threat is reported, muster the crew away from the accommodation front. Keep lifejackets and immersion suits ready.
Affects: All crews, deck and engine, trading in the western Black Sea When: 13 Oct 2026
Security
Urgent Reported
Hormuz: Iran says ships that switch AIS off will be treated as hostile
Splash247 reported on 13 October on a warning from an Iranian source. Merchant ships turning off their AIS during what Iran calls unauthorised Hormuz passages will be treated as "hostile". The IRGC also claimed an attack on the ADNOC VLCC Al Maqam. It is not clear if this is one of the attacks UKMTO reported. According to the report, UKMTO has recorded at least 18 reported attacks in the region this month.
What to do: On the bridge, do not decide AIS settings on your own. Follow the latest JMIC / UKMTO guidance and your flag and company instructions for the Hormuz transit. Record the decision and times in the log book. Report any approach or attack to UKMTO at once.
Affects: Masters, OOWs and CSOs of ships in or bound for the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz When: 13 Oct 2026
Security
Urgent Reported
French forces board a shadow-fleet tanker 450 NM south of Reunion by helicopter
gCaptain reported, citing Reuters, that French military personnel boarded the Benin-flagged tanker DF Peak (ex-Kaliningrad) on 13 October. They boarded from helicopters about 450 NM south of Reunion, on suspicion of a false flag. The tanker is under US, UK and EU sanctions since 2024. It is being taken to Reunion for the prosecutor to examine. It is at least the fifth Russian-linked tanker France has seized since 2024.
What to do: Before you sign on a tanker, check her flag registration and sanctions status. Ask your RPSL agent, or search the ship's IMO number. A ship with a doubtful flag can be boarded and detained, and her crew delayed for weeks.
Affects: Tanker crews, especially those signing on older tankers with unclear owners When: 13 Oct 2026
Security
Urgent Reported
Asia: robberies on ships halve in Q3, but drugs found hidden in sea chests
Risk Intelligence, writing in Seatrade Maritime News, counted 14 theft and armed-robbery boardings in Asia in Q3 2026, down from 28 in Q2. Boardings in the Singapore Strait stayed low after arrests on Batam in July 2025. Over 36 kg of cocaine was found hidden in the sea chest strainers of two ships at anchorage. Large drug seizures were also made from small cargo and fishing vessels.
What to do: At anchor in the Singapore and Malacca Straits, keep anti-robbery watches. After any diver or boat activity near the hull, tell the Master; ask the C/E to check sea chest covers and strainers for tampering before sailing.
Affects: Deck and engine watchkeepers, ratings on gangway watch, in South-East Asian waters When: Q3 2026 (report of 12 Oct 2026)
🚢 Shipping industry
Shipping industry
Official
India: 146 ships in shipbuilding-aid applications; new MTI and RPSL portal modules due
DGMA's weekly report to the Ministry (week ending 9 October 2026) covers the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme. It shows 75 in-principle applications worth Rs 13,871 crore, covering 146 vessels, from 79 registered shipyards. For crewing, under Mission 20%, beta versions of the MTI module and the RPSL module are scheduled for launch in the 3rd week of October. DGMA has also consulted shipping companies on easier crewing and on employer-led training institutes in India.
What to do: Cadets and crewing staff: watch DGMA notices this month for the new MTI and RPSL modules, and once the portal is live, check your RPSL agency's licence there. More ships built in India means more yard and delivery-crew jobs, so keep your CoC and courses current.
Affects: Indian seafarers and cadets, RPSL agencies, maritime training institutes, shipyards When: 9 Oct 2026 (report); modules 3rd week of Oct 2026
Shipping industry
Reported
ITF 'Mind At Sea': ITF ship visits to include mental-health checks
The ITF reported that its Mind At Sea campaign started on 10 October and runs until early December. It begins in two countries per continent. When ITF inspectors come on board, they will talk about wellbeing and share helplines and the ITF Wellbeing Directory. The ITF also wants suicide included in death compensation in all its agreements. It cites a 2019 Yale survey of 1,572 seafarers in which 25% had scores suggesting depression.
What to do: If you or a shipmate is struggling, talk to someone you trust on board and use a confidential seafarer helpline or the ITF Seafarers' App. Rest hours and a no-bullying ship matter; report breaches through your company or the MLC complaint procedure.
Affects: All seafarers on board and their families at home When: 10 Oct 2026
