A Memorandum of Understanding was signed today between the Department of Captain of Ports and Ganpat University, at the Secretariat, Porvorim. Minister of Ports, Alexio Sequeira graced the occasion. This collaboration aims to enhance maritime education and training at Captain of Ports Department’s Maritime School at Britona.
Octavio Rodrigues, Captain of Ports; Premlal Shirsaikar, Deputy Captain of Ports; Dr. Mahendra Sharma, Pro-Chancellor of Ganpat University; Dr. R. K. Patel, Pro Vice-Chancellor; Dr. Saurabh Dave, Pro Vice-Chancellor; Dr. Satyen Parikh, Pro Vice-Chancellor; Dr. Girish Patel, Executive Registrar; Capt. Giriraj Tejra; Capt. Prakash Rajaram Patil; and Jitendra Singh Rawat, were also present.
It may be recalled that in March 2021, the government had approved the proposal to redevelop the Maritime School into the “Goa Institute of Maritime Excellence (GIME)” on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis. The Department of Public-Private Partnership prepared the draft Request for Proposal (RFP) and concession agreement for the redevelopment on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) basis. Following the necessary government approvals, the tender was floated on September 28, 2022, and a single bid was received on the e-procure portal, that from Ganpat University, Gujarat.
The collaboration will introduce a range of courses at the Goa Institute of Maritime Excellence. Long-term courses include the New Entrant Training Course and the Advanced Refresher Training Course. Short-term courses will cover Power Boat Operator for Inland Canoes, Personal Craft Operator, High-Speed Craft Operator, Jet Ski Operator, and Crowd Management and Passenger Safety.
Additionally, the academic curriculum will include long-term Maritime MBA courses in Shipping and Logistics Management, Port and Shipping Management, and Shipping and Finance. Yacht training courses such as Master (Coastal) of Yachts, Master (Open Sea) Yachts, and Master (Ocean Going) Yachts will also be offered. Short-term courses will cover Safety, Rescue, Fire Fighting and First Aid, Dinghy Sailing/Kayak/Sea Bob/Water Toy training, professional lifeguard courses for swimming pools, beach guard courses, and adventure courses such as scuba diving and fly board. Other specialized training will include yacht deck crew, cruise/super yacht hospitality, fishing trawler skipper navigation, and electric-powered boat operator courses.
Ganpat University, located in Mehsana-Gujarat, is a renowned educational institution established in 2005. It offers a wide range of undergraduate, post-graduate, and doctoral programmes across various fields such as engineering, maritime studies, management, pharmacy, computer applications, and humanities. The university and the township of Ganpat Vidyanagar, a high-tech education campus, are joint initiatives driven by industrialists, technocrats, noble farmers, and affluent businessmen with the mission of “Social Upliftment through Education.” This partnership is expected to significantly contribute to maritime excellence and education in Goa.
