DGMA Issues Show Cause Notice to Debarred Navi Mumbai Institute Directors
India’s Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) in Mumbai has issued a show cause notice dated 10 November 2026 to two directors linked to Five Star Maritime Foundation Institute (MTI No. 204084) at CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, and to Sun Marine Academy (MTI No. 208072). DGMA says, on a prima facie basis, that they took part in DGS-related training activities during a debarment period and hid material facts from the Directorate.
According to the notice, R M Maritime Academy was de-recognised in March 2020 and its directors were debarred for five years, from 30 March 2020 to 29 March 2025. DGMA alleges that the debarred company was later renamed and obtained fresh approval as Five Star Maritime Foundation Institute in January 2025 without disclosing its past, and that one debarred person controlled Sun Marine Academy through a proxy director.
From the CrewMirror Blog
The notice also refers to a manually issued certificate that DGMA describes as spurious, a look-alike website claiming DGS approval for 49 courses, and the INDoS number of a debarred person being added to course batches to meet the minimum batch strength.
DGMA has asked why it should not blacklist the noticees, withdraw the institute’s approval and block it on the e-governance system, refer the matter to the police and cyber-crime authorities, and order special verification through MMD Mumbai of certificates issued by Sun Marine Academy between 3 December 2020 and 19 August 2025. The noticees have 15 days to reply and may ask for a personal hearing. These are allegations, and no final decision has been taken yet.
CrewMirror Takeaway
Seafarers who completed courses at these institutes would do well to confirm that their certificates appear on the DGMA e-governance system. Before paying for any course, seafarers should check the institute’s approval on the official DGMA website rather than on the institute’s own pages.
For more details, please follow this link on the official DGMA website.
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