Global Maritime Distress and Safety Systems became mandatory on board all sea going vessels of 300 GRT and above with effect from 1st February 1999. This is a communication system enabled by advanced terrestrial and Satellites based system achieved with state of the art communication electronics.

The department of GMDSS was established in the year 1997 in AMET and thus it was a pioneer in establishing and imparting GMDSS GOC Programme in India. It is a mandatory Programme for all deck officers in Merchant navy and with a view to enable these officers to upgrade their professional skills to operate the latest communication equipment on board, AMET started training scores of mariners ever since.

With a vision to train both the Indian and UK and other foreign nationals in GMDSS, AMET established both GMDSS Indian version and GMDSS UK version. The Programme was approved by AMERC, U.K. After critical scrutiny, AMERC approved AMET as an associate member. AMERC is the organization approved by the U.K. maritime authority (Maritime Coastguard Agency) and is empowered to grant approval to colleges all over the world to conduct GMDSS GOC (U.K.), conduct exams and issue certificate.

The GMDSS (IND) was simultaneously approved by Wireless Planning and Co-ordination Wing, Dept. of Tele-Communication, Ministry of Communications, Government of India and Directorate General of Shipping, Ministry of Shipping, Government of India. Both these Ministries were so impressed by AMET’s infrastructure that it was preferred and approved as an examination centre. Thus AMET was and continues to be the ONLY ONE maritime university in South India to conduct GMDSS GOC (U.K. version ) and pioneers to establish the GMDSS(IND).

Fuelled by the overwhelming response to the GMDSS IND Programme, AMET increased its approved strength from 12 candidates to 24 candidates (2 batches) in 1998.

The approved strength for the U.K. version is 12 students per batch. AMET has been very dynamic in its training system and always had an ear and eye to the industry’s changing requirements.