The decision by the Directorate General of Shipping to allow Merchant Navy to recruit foreigners to offset the shortage of trained Indian personnel has set the alarm bells ringing in the Navy, which feels the move is fraught with serious implications for national security.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash has himself warned Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Shipping Minister TR Baalu against going ahead with the plan. He has, instead, suggested changes in the procedure to allow easier entry for former Indian Navy personnel into the Merchant Navy.

In a letter to Baalu in June this year, the Admiral conveyed the Navy's concern, saying: "The sustained presence of foreigners on board our ships could become a potential security hazard in sensitive Indian ports. I'm therefore writing to suggest that instead of resorting to recruitment of foreigners into our Merchant Navy, it would be far more beneficial to the national cause if we were to modify the rules to facilitate somewhat easier entry of our own retired naval personnel into the Merchant Navy.”

Acknowledging the crisis in the shipping industry, he said: "It is evident that our shipping industry is currently undergoing an acute manpower shortage and the proposal to recruit foreigners forms a part of the effort to alleviate the situation. This is, however, ironical because a large potential reservoir of trained manpower of Indian Naval personnel (who retire at a relatively young age) lies untapped by Indian shipping within the country."

This is the first time the Navy chief has thrown his weight behind the former Navy personnel who since 1998 have been finding it difficult to sail on foreign bound ships. Prior to 1998, navy personnel with seven years of sea service could get a Certificate of Service from the Directorate General of Shipping, Mumbai. The certificate was essential qualification to serve on a foreign going ship.

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