For Class 12 PCM students — Physics, Chemistry, Maths · age 17 to 27 (relaxations apply) · girls and boys. Not PCM? This path is not open to you.
Yes. Girls can join the Merchant Navy after 12th, by the same route as boys: Class 12 PCM, IMU CET, a course, a company’s selection, a first ship. Here is the route, the rules and the checklist for safety and welfare.
Physics, Chemistry and Maths in Class 12; about 60% PCM average (55% for SC/ST); 50% English in Class 10 or 12. The upper age limit for women in the General category is higher than for men — 27 in the published rules, with further relaxation for reserved categories. Confirm in the current IMU information brochure.
One national test for girls and boys: Physics, Chemistry, Maths, English, aptitude and general knowledge, timed and multiple-choice. Rank and seat allotment are decided by IMU.
DNS and B.Sc Nautical Science lead to the bridge; B.Tech Marine Engineering leads to the engine room. The work, the eyesight rule and the training sequence differ. Choose from the official course pages, not from a social-media clip.
Unaided 6/6 and 6/9 vision and normal colour vision for the deck routes, comparatively relaxed rules for the engine route, and a certificate from a DG Shipping-approved doctor. The standards apply to every candidate.
A shipping company selects its cadets through a written test, a psychometric test, an interview and a medical. Selection rests with the company.
Girls and boys train in the same batch, with the same mentors and the same standards. Mentors are actively sailing captains and officers, so a girl and her parents can ask direct questions about life on board. Parents get regular reports from week one.
Women are still few at sea. The IMO-WISTA Women in Maritime Survey 2024 reports women as about 1% of the seafarers employed by the organisations it surveyed. In India, a June 2025 Press Information Bureau release says the number of Indian women seafarers rose from 341 in 2014 to 2,557 in 2024, under the Sagar Mein Samman policy on safety, training, retention and equal opportunity. A small share is a reason to ask better questions, not a reason to stop a qualified girl.
India applies the Maritime Labour Convention through the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour) Rules, 2016, and DG Shipping publishes grievance and onboard complaint procedures for seafarers. Ask any future employer how these apply to its ships.
Ask for the approved institute and course, the medical route, the employer or training path, the written costs and refund terms, the emergency contact and the complaint route. Ask about accommodation and privacy on board, medical support, leave and sign-off practice. If an answer is vague, ask for it in writing before paying or signing.
Be careful with anyone selling a sure job or a sure sponsorship, or pressing you to pay today. Check the institute on the DG Shipping approval pages and the recruiter on the RPSL list. Our guide to verifying an institute walks through each check.
For the route you prefer, on imu.edu.in.
And note what is still unannounced for 2027.
About the standard for your route.
Timed practice, with an error log by topic.
Or a credible maritime professional, about onboard life.
Then check eligibility and apply for NEST.
Yes. The published upper limit for women in the General category is higher than for men (27 against 25), with further relaxation for reserved categories. Confirm the current figures in the IMU information brochure.
A ship is a professional workplace with hazards, drills, fatigue and long periods away from home. Safety comes from systems: the Maritime Labour rules, onboard complaint procedures, welfare contacts and accountable officers. Ask the employer how each works. Our safety-at-sea guide lists the questions.
Yes. B.Tech Marine Engineering is open to girls on the same terms, and its eyesight rules are comparatively relaxed.
Yes. At least one parent or guardian attends the selection interview and counselling session, so the family hears everything first-hand.
Yes. Indian women seafarer numbers have risen, and companies publish their own intakes. Read each company’s notice and the DG Shipping welfare pages before applying.
Admission process and NEST · IMU CET question bank · Company and college selection preparation · Courses
Read next — Women in Merchant Navy · How a woman can join the Merchant Navy in India · 18-year-old girl checklist · Female IMU CET guide · Is the Merchant Navy safe for girls? · Women in Merchant Navy statistics · What DNS sponsorship means for girls · Merchant Navy medical test · How to verify an institute
NavPath prepares girls and boys for IMU CET and for company selection in the same batch. Rank and seat allotment are decided by IMU.
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