August 24 this year was a memorable day for 79 MERI students, as West Bengal governor A R Kidwai inspected the passing out parade of the 44th batch. MERI was founded by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru with the prime initiation of the then chief minister of West Bengal, Dr B C Roy, on December 14, 1953. MERI has a branch at Mumbai as well.

``In India, the concept of marine engineering and deckside work started in the pre-independence era in the ship, D S Dufferin,'' said the director of the institute, S Mukhopadhyay. ``After that, a separate set-up became necessary.''

These marine engineers not only find jobs on Indian merchant ships, but arealso prized by foreign lines because of their excellent training and readiness to undergo hardship.

``It is our great satisfaction that our marine engineers are in good demand in Indian as well as foreign shipping companies,'' said Mukhopadhyay. ``The vacancies offered by the various shipping companies far exceed the number of cadets completing their training this year.''

Candidates seeking admission to the three-year B Sc degree course (nautical science) at T S Chanakya at Navi Mumbai and the four-year course at MERI in Calcutta are selected on the basis of their performance at the all-India joint entrance examination for the Indian Institutes of Technology held in May every year. Candidates who want to join the merchant navy have to submit a special application form to the Directorate General of Shipping and clear the medical standards prescribed for the course before appearing for their entrance exam.

In 1998, the number of seats at T S Chanakya is 80 and at MERI, 120. The number varies on the basisof projected employment opportunities each year. During the current course, 138 Indian cadets including one girl and three Ethiopians are joining MERI. Some of them will pursue their studies at Mumbai before coming back for the final exams.

A total of 4,828 engineers have so far qualified from MERI. The institute reserves 3-4 seats every year for foreign students.

The certificate is recognised as equivalent to a degree in marine engineering by the Union government and the All India Council of Technical Education.

``The course is so drawn up that on completion of training, a cadet attains a fairly high standard in the fundamental engineering sciences along with theoretical and practical knowledge of marine engineering and learns the basics of humanities and social sciences,'' said Mukhopadhyay.

He said the course is updated constantly to keep in line with global regulations governing the merchant marine. ``We are also teaching them relevant rules under the Merchant Shipping Act in accordance with theinternational rules and regulations on safety and pollution, set recently by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), to which India, along with other nations, is a signatory,'' Mukhopadhyay said.

Under the changed training pattern, third-year students receive practical training at marine workshops in and around Calcutta and on board ships under repair at the Calcutta port.

According to Mukhopadhyay, the stress is on developing hands-on skills so that the boys can tackle any complicated situation on a voyage with dexterity. ``Unlike other engineers, marine engineers cannot afford to employ toolsmen in the ship. They have to do it with their own hands,'' he said.

Strict discipline is maintained in the institution on lines similar to that in naval and army establishments. ``This tuning is necessary to prepare them mentally for the hardships of marine life,'' said Mukhopadhyay.

Away from land and family for months on end, the only source of sustenance for marine engineers probably is the fantasticsalaries in rupee terms, which similar graduates in other professions can only envy. The foreign shipping lines get Indian engineers for pretty low dollar salaries. But these turn into fat packets when converted into rupees.

``No other profession can give you such a hefty amount of money at such a young age,'' said Mukhopadhyay. A MERI graduate begins his shipboard career at a base salary of Rs 25,000-35,000, depending on whether he joins an Indian or foreign company.

And, in a market where even engineers have to look for jobs, MERI graduates are assured of a good job as soon as they finish the course, Mukhopadhyay pointed out.

MERI organises campus interviews that are normally dominated by foreign companies because ``dollars naturally charm guys more than rupees''.The branch establishment at Mumbai is now being used to impart short-term training to graduate engineers to ease the shortage of trained manpower in shipping companies.

The fees and other expenses, along with the hostel charges at MERI,amount to around Rs 25,000 per year. A number of scholarships, dependent both on merit and the financial condition of the parents, are available to the cadets of MERI.

Able-bodied sailors

The prestigious President's Gold Medal for 1998 was bestowed on senior cadet Captain Pankaj Singhal, while the Silver Medal went to runner-up Jagjit Singh. Singhal bagged a total prize money of Rs 15,000 and Singh, Rs 12,000.

The PGM is awarded from the institution every year to a cadet who shows ``the qualities likely to make the finest marine engineer''.

Singhal, who is from land-locked Ghaziabad, is the only son of his parents. ``But fortunately, my parents never prevented me from joining this course although they knew fully well all the minus points of this profession,'' he said.

Asked what had drawn them to this profession, both were quick to reply: ``It's thrilling. It always keeps you on your toes, never leaves you feeling bored.''

Singhal and Singh are going to join foreign shipping companies.``Because foreign ships have fewer crew members, there is more scope to take on the whole responsibility on your shoulders. It makes you more confident in the profession,'' said Jagjit Singh, the runner-up.

On how they prepared themselves for their entrance examinations, Singhal replied, ``The preparation was of the 12th standard. But we gave more stress on the basics, because only a clear idea of the basics will help you to answer the general questions.''

And what about the study hours? Both said concentrated study of 3-4 hours was more than enough.

According to them, a bookworm is not fit for this course because strict discipline, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities are also needed to become a complete cadet.

``Beside academics, we are taught here to become a good technician also. Sports and other physical exercise are counted as much here as academics to keep us mentally and physically fit always,'' said Singhal.

These apart, a spirit of enterprise and initiative, the ability to leadothers, cheerful submission to superiors and fearless devotion to duties should be in the blood to be a real mariner, he added.

On whether they plan to quit the sea after 10 or 15 years -- by when they would have enough money in the bank for a lifetime -- both hesitated before replying. ``Only time can say that. But right now, we cannot think about quitting,'' said Singh.