GSUI vs DG Shipping: Courtroom Drama, Policy Shocks & a Union That Won’t Blink
Mumbai, Aug 8, 2025 — When it comes to Indian seafarers, the tide is rarely calm. This time, it’s GSUI (Global Seafarers Union of India) steering the storm straight into the heart of DG Shipping’s corridors. What started with one controversial circular has spiralled into a high-stakes battle involving constitutional rights, international law, and the livelihoods of thousands of Indian mariners.
Just days after the Bombay High Court threw a lifeline to thousands of Indian seafarers by staying DG Shipping’s controversial Circular 31 of 2025, the Global Seafarers Union of India (GSUI) is back in the legal battlefield.
This time, they’re gunning for Order 8 of 2025 — a fresh directive that union leaders are calling “Circular 31 in disguise”.
Filed yesterday by GSUI’s spokesperson Gaurav Porwal, the new writ petition accuses DG Shipping of bypassing the court’s earlier order and unleashing a policy that could sink careers, shut training institutes, and wipe out crores in foreign exchange earnings.
The Déjà Vu Nobody Wanted
For the maritime community, this feels like a replay of a nightmare they thought was over.
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Circular 31 had barred Indian seafarers from working with foreign-issued Certificates of Competency (CoCs).
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GSUI fought back, arguing it would devastate livelihoods and violate constitutional rights.
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The Bombay High Court agreed, halting the policy.
But before the ink could dry on that relief order, DG Shipping issued Order 8, which, according to GSUI, carries the same sting — just wrapped in new legalese.
Order 8 vs Circular 31: Spot the Difference
| Point | Circular 31 of 2025 | Order 8 of 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Restrictions on seafarers holding foreign CoCs | Prohibits foreign maritime authorities/entities from conducting training in India without DG Shipping approval |
| Impact | Blocks employment for thousands with foreign CoCs | Shuts down foreign-approved training institutes & invalidates existing training |
| Trigger | Issued without broad consultation | Issued the same day court stayed Circular 31 |
| GSUI’s View | Unconstitutional & anti-seafarer | “Same intent, different packaging” — an attempt to bypass court orders |
What the PIL Says
Porwal’s petition doesn’t mince words:
“This is an act of administrative defiance… the DG Shipping is attempting to circumvent the court’s stay and impose a harsher version of the same policy under a new label.”
The PIL argues that:
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The order was passed without stakeholder consultation.
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It violates Articles 14, 19(1)(g), and 21 of the Constitution.
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It undermines India’s international maritime obligations under the IMO White List.
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It could render thousands of valid foreign-issued maritime certificates worthless overnight.
Who’s Going to Feel the Wave?
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Seafarers who spent lakhs training under foreign-approved institutes now risk losing jobs.
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Training Institutes in Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, Goa, and Tamil Nadu may be forced to shut down.
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RPSL Companies could see recruitment pipelines collapse.
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The economy could take a ₹5,000+ crore hit in annual foreign exchange inflows.
The Big Question: Policy or Power Play?
Maritime insiders say the timing raises eyebrows — the new order dropped on the very day the court stayed Circular 31.
“Was this a calculated move to neutralise the court’s intervention?” one industry veteran asked.
How It All Blew Up
It began with Circular No. 31 of 2025, a DG Shipping directive that many called a career death sentence for Indian officers holding Flags of Convenience (FOC) CoCs from Panama, Liberia, Honduras, Belize, Cook Islands, and others.
For seafarers, it wasn’t just paperwork—it was survival. Jobs, EMIs, children’s education, and years of maritime service were suddenly hanging by a bureaucratic thread.
GSUI didn’t just tweet about it. They marched, filed petitions, met MPs, took it to court, and turned the heat up in the media. And on 1 August 2025, the Bombay High Court granted a stay on Circular 31.
But DG Shipping wasn’t done on the same say issued Order 8.
GSUI Fight Timeline
- 18 July 2025 — DG Shipping issues Circular No. 31 of 2025, restricting recognition of certain foreign CoCs.
- Late July 2025 — GSUI (led by Gaurav Porwal & Founder Balaram Patil) organises protests, submits representations, and preps legal action. Union delegation meets DGS on 22 July 2025.
- 01 August 2025 — Bombay High Court grants stay in WPs 23082 & 23111 against Circular 31. Next hearing fixed for 26 September 2025.
- 01 August 2025 — Same day, DGS Order No. 08 of 2025 issued: bans foreign maritime administrations/entities from conducting maritime training in India without prior DGS approval.
- 01 August 2025 — DGS issues Addendum-I to Circular 31, which GSUI calls a “blatant bypass” of the stay.
- 08 August 2025 — Contempt petition filed by Gaurav Porwal, accusing DGS of violating the stay by issuing Order 08 / Addendum.
- Next — GSUI’s legal team readies for the 26 September 2025 hearing and parallel fights against Order 08 and the Addendum.
Who Gains, Who Bleeds
Winners:
- Potentially, a few approved Indian maritime training institutes—if they align with DGS.
- Officials pushing for tighter control over foreign certifications.
Losers:
- Thousands of seafarers with foreign CoCs—many already mid-voyage.
- RPSL companies relying on those officers.
- Maritime training institutes offering foreign-approved courses.
- The families and local economies dependent on seafarers’ remittances.
Why GSUI Calls This a Fight for Survival
“This isn’t just about certificates—it’s about the right to work, the right to dignity, and the right to feed our families,” says GSUI’s Gaurav Porwal.
Patil, the former MLC and GSUI founder, is more blunt: “If DG Shipping wants to regulate, fine. But don’t burn down the entire livelihood structure of Indian seafarers in the process.”
What’s Next?
GSUI has announced that unless Circular 31 and Order 08 are scrapped, they will escalate—both in court and on the streets, with peaceful but pointed protests. International maritime bodies like the IMO may soon hear India’s name in not-so-flattering context.
One thing’s certain—this isn’t over. And GSUI’s not dropping anchor anytime soon.
