4th INSA Annual Technical Paper Competition

With an objective of developing a sense of enquiry and the concept of research and innovation among the students currently engaged in various academic programs in Indian Maritime Training Institutions, INSA (Indian National Shipowner’s Association) had embarked on an initiative four years back, of holding a Technical Paper Competition Annually. The initiative was spearheaded by the Research & Training Committee of INSA headed by Dr. B.K.Saxena. Fourth edition of the competition was held on 27^th of January on a Digital Platform of MS Teams. The competition generated enthusiastic response from the participants. Total 33 high quality technical papers were received in the preliminary round from the students from various Maritime Training Institutes. A Selection Committee comprising of eminent professionals, namely Mr. David Birwadkar, Mr. Dilip Mehrotra, Mr A. B. Dutta  and Mr. Chitta Dash evaluated the papers. It was indeed a challenge for the Judges to shortlist 10 papers out of 33 submitted.

The theme for this year’s edition was “Emerging Trends and Challenges in Maritime Logistics and Shipping Industry”.

Mr Anil Devli, CEO, INSA, welcomed the august gathering. The event was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Mr Shyam Jagannathan, IAS, Director General of Shipping. Mr David Birwadkar explained about the uniqueness of this event and briefed the participants about the rules. The event was well compared by Mr Sunil Kumar.

The Director General of Shipping, in his inspirational speech, mentioned the three-point agenda for the development of the Maritime Sector. His innovative approach of inviting participation from INSA, Industry and students to the IMO led initiatives was well appreciated. He emphasised that Mental wellbeing of the Seafarers is one of the key challenges today. He explained the actions taken by the Directorate on this issue and requested for industry support to take on this key challenge. His priority on the reform of the examination system will go a long way in the improving the quality of Indian Seafarers.

It has indeed been a very interesting and interactive session on the online platform, led by the student participants. Some of the concepts submitted by the participants were highly innovative. Papers on Combustion Process improvements, Ship Energy Efficiency improvements, Autonomous ships, Seafarers Mental Health issues and Cause and mitigation of High Logistics costs, were really of very high standards. The final selection of the prize winning candidates was based on the presentations by the 10 shortlisted groups of participants, including their handling of Q & A.

Mr Vijay Arora, MD of Indian Register of Shipping had graced the event as Guest of Honour. Mr Arora urged the students to continue in their journey in the quest of knowledge and develop innovative concept to improve the maritime industry.

The event was also graced by Dr Sujata Naik, Chairperson of Tolani Shipping Limited, Ex-President and Current Director of INSA. Dr Sujata Naik in her motivational speech inspired the students to participate in such events and promote the culture of learning in maritime Industry. She is known for her passion and enthusiasm for maritime training and matters related to seafarers.

The committee is extremely thankful to all the students from the Maritime Institutes to have participated in such huge numbers and taking the event to a much higher pedestal. The faculty members who have mentored the students in producing these high-quality papers also deserve commendation. Concepts like Gas and Steam turbine combined propulsion, Hybrid Propulsion system, Utilisation of Solar Energy, Air Lubrication System were very well conceptualised. There was one information paper on Global Sanctions and it’s impact on shipping business. It was good to see two presentations on solution to Mental Wellbeing of Seafarers, which shows that the problem is being acknowledged and is getting the required attention. Going by the quality of the papers and final presentations, the Committee is satisfied that INSA’s objectives of introducing the Technical Paper Competition for students, are well achieved.

The event was attended by a large number of audiences from the industry which marked the success of the campaign. Notable among the audience are Mr Rajeev Nayyer, President IMEI and Captain Tushar Pradhan, General Secretary, Maritime Union of India.

The event concluded with the Vote of Thanks proposed by Mr Chitta Dash.

The winning teams are to receive Citations and cash prizes of Rs.25,000/-, Rs.18,000/- & Rs.15,000/- respectively for 1st, 2nd and 3rd papers respectively. Two other presenting teams were awarded Consolation Prize of Rs.7,000/- each. Other Finalists are to receive ‘Certificate for Presentation’ and the remaining candidates are to receive ‘Certificate of Participation’.

Congratulations to the winners and to the other finalists. The committee thanks all participants who spared time from their hectic academic schedule to participate in the event and wishes them all the best in their future career progression.