NMPA Senior pilot bags Port of London Authority award

MANGALURU : Capt. Sami Modak, senior pilot of the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA), has won the Port of London Authority award for obtaining the highest marks in the ‘Port and Terminal Management’ paper in the Professional Qualifying Exam (PQE) conducted by the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS), London.

ICS, London, conducted the ICS PQE exams for 2024 in Mangaluru between May 13 and 23. Of seven candidates (six men and one woman) who appeared for 16 papers from the Mangaluru centre, four, Capt. Modak, Capt. Jewel Fernandes, Capt. Lijoy, and Shrinath, were declared successful and will qualify for membership to the institute.

Capt John P. Menezes, Chairman of ICS East India Branch, Chennai, said in a release on Saturday that there were four international prize winners from examination centres under the East India branch, Chennai. The Kolkata centre bagged two prizes, and the New Delhi and the Mangaluru centres one each.

Stating that the ICS PQE is a well respected educational qualification of the shipping and marine industry worldwide, he said the syllabus is continuously revised to cater to the latest in shipping business, legal principles of shipping, economics of sea transport and international trade and 12 specialised disciplines. The ICS question papers are set in London, answer sheets are also evaluated in London.

Ever since Mangaluru became an examination centre in 2010, as many as 30 candidates have successfully passed the ICS examinations to be admitted as Members of the ICS (MICS).

Mangaluru is one of the 105 ICS PQE centres across the world and the fifth centre in India. He urged the younger generation in Karnataka and Kerala to make use of the opportunity available in Mangaluru. ‘Menezes and Associates’, Mangaluru, has been declared the official examination centre, he said.

The Mangaluru centre is now preparing candidates for the May 2025 ICS exams. Aspirants interested in a career in shore-based shipping, port, offshore and logistics industry can log on to www.ics.org.uk or call the Mangaluru centre organiser Prashant CG or the regional representative, Manfred Karkada, MICS of ICS Madras Branch, for guidance, Capt Menezes added.