INDIAN MARITIME UNIVERSITY, KOLKATA

The Indian Maritime University - Kolkata Campus, formerly the Marine Engineering and Research Institute (MERI) and the Directorate of Marine Engineering Training (DMET), specializes in marine engineering education. Marine engineering training in India began in 1927 aboard the training ship Dufferin. Following a 1947 committee recommendation, the Directorate of Marine Engineering Training (DMET) was established on 10 August 1949, operating from temporary facilities in Bombay and Calcutta with an initial intake of 50 students. The Calcutta branch moved into a new building in 1953, inaugurated by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as the Marine Engineering College, with Transport Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri present. Over the years, intake increased, an all-India entrance exam was introduced in 1962, and in 1982 the Institute of Engineers (India) recognized DMET graduates with First Class licences as equivalent to chartered engineers. In 1983, the four-year DMET course was recognized as equivalent to a first degree in Marine Engineering. A 1991 government committee led to the formation of the Merchant Marine Education and Research Trust, a precursor to the Indian Maritime University, which now oversees the institute.