Job portals report that Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) has invited applications for 16 Marine Helper posts, 4 in Survey and 12 in Flotilla, on a three-year contract. Applications are offline and must reach Gandhidham by 13 November 2026. I have not seen the official PDF, so the details below are as reported and need checking against the notice on deendayalport.gov.in. The swimming-test standard, the shortlisting method and the test date are not published in anything I found.
What has been announced
Deendayal Port Authority, the major port in Kutch, Gujarat that was long known as Kandla Port, has advertised 16 Marine Helper posts in its Marine Department. MaruGujarat.in, IndGovtJobs and Karmasandhan agree on the main points: two streams, Survey and Flotilla, engagement on a purely contractual basis for three years, and applications by post. MaruGujarat.in dates the notification 22 October 2026, and Karmasandhan says the application process started on 23 October. One listing of the notice looks older than that, so I cannot say with confidence exactly when it was first published. The closing date is what matters, and every source gives it as 13 November 2026.
There was an earlier DPA advertisement in July 2026. It covered 22 contractual Marine Department posts, among them 16 Topaz (Marine Helper) posts, with a last date of 31 August 2026, according to MaruGujarat.in and Sarkari Result. The post count of 16 is the same, but the details reported for the two notices differ, and I will come to those below. Whether the October notice replaces the July one, and whether July applicants must apply again, is not answered in the reports. If you applied in August, read the October notice for a line on that before you assume anything.
Snapshot
| Item | Detail (as reported) |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Deendayal Port Authority, Marine Department |
| Posts | Marine Helper (Survey) and Marine Helper (Flotilla) |
| Vacancies | 16 (Survey 4, Flotilla 12) |
| Engagement | Contractual, 3 years |
| Pay | ₹30,000 per month |
| Education | 7th standard pass, swimming compulsory |
| Experience | Minimum 1 year, certificate compulsory |
| Maximum age | 25 years as on 1 October 2026 |
| Mode | Offline, by post |
| Last date | 13 November 2026 |
Who gets the 16 posts
The vacancy split, as MaruGujarat.in reproduces it from the notice, puts the posts in a class IV category.
For Survey, there are 4 posts: 3 Unreserved and 1 for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer). For Flotilla, there are 12 posts: 8 Unreserved, 1 Scheduled Caste and 3 OBC (Non-Creamy Layer). No post is reported for Scheduled Tribe candidates. Across both streams that gives 11 Unreserved, 1 SC and 4 OBC.
Those numbers shape the competition more than the headline of 16 does. A General candidate applying for Survey is competing for three seats. An SC candidate has one seat, in Flotilla only. An OBC candidate has one Survey seat and three Flotilla seats. Pick the stream that matches the experience you can prove, not the one that sounds more attractive, because a mismatch between your experience certificate and your chosen stream is an easy way to be shortlisted out.
Dates, and what a PO box does to your plan
The notification is dated 22 October 2026, applications can be sent now, and the application must reach the office on or before 13 November 2026. The reports say late or incomplete applications will be summarily rejected. The dates for any shortlisting, the swimming test and the merit list are not announced.
The address is a Post Box: The Dy. Conservator, Deendayal Port Authority, Administrative Office Building, Room No. 211, Post Box No. 50, Gandhidham (Kutch), Gujarat 370201. That detail changes how you send the form. Private courier companies usually cannot deliver to a PO box number, and a packet that comes back or sits at a depot costs you days you do not have. India Post, through Speed Post or registered post, is the dependable route for a postal address like this. Aim to post it by around 5 November, keep the receipt, and track it. That date is my suggestion and is not part of the notice.
Three weeks sounds like plenty. It is less than it appears once you account for getting an experience certificate signed, which is usually the slow step.
Education, swimming and the experience requirement
The educational bar is low: a pass in 7th standard (Middle School). A second requirement is that you must know swimming. And then comes the one that the headline leaves out. Candidates need at least one year of experience, and for the Survey stream IndGovtJobs reports that the certificate is compulsory.
For Marine Helper (Flotilla), the reported experience is a minimum of one year in housekeeping, sanitation, cleaning and upkeep of sanitary facilities, preferably in a marine or industrial setting. For Marine Helper (Survey), it is a minimum of one year in the marine field. MaruGujarat.in lists the experience certificate as compulsory in its document list.
Read together, the experience clauses tell you something about the jobs, though the reports do not describe the duties directly. The Flotilla experience wording points to cleaning and upkeep work around vessels or similar facilities. The Survey wording is broader and points to support work around marine operations. That is my reading of the eligibility text, not a duty list from the notice.
The practical consequence is that a 7th-pass certificate is the easy part. The thing that will filter this pool is a document showing a year of work.
Making your experience count
Informal work is where candidates lose out. Someone who has spent two years helping on a fishing boat or cleaning a jetty for a contractor has real experience, but a paper trail is what the notice asks for. If your experience is undocumented, start now.
What a certificate normally needs to show: your name, the nature of the work, the dates of start and end, the employer or owner, and a signature with a designation and contact details, ideally on letterhead. If the work was for a contractor, ask for it on the contractor’s letterhead. If it was for a ship, boat or firm, ask the owner or manager. Check the notice for any required format, and for whether a period of one year must be continuous.
Two mistakes to avoid. Do not let someone write a certificate for a period you did not work, because document verification can involve checking, and a false certificate ends the candidacy at best. And do not assume that experience in a different field, such as general daily-wage labour, matches either stream. The stream wording is specific, and the shortlisting is reported to be based on qualification and experience.
Age limit
The reported maximum age is 25 years as on 1 October 2026. Upper age relaxation is 5 years for SC and ST candidates and 3 years for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), according to MaruGujarat.in. Karmasandhan also gives 25 years as the maximum on that date.
Here is where the July notice differs. The earlier advertisement for Topaz (Marine Helpers) was reported with an age range of 25 to 30 years, and a physical standard of 5 feet 3 inches in height and a chest of 30 inches, expanding to 32. The October reports mention no height or chest requirement, and the age ceiling of 25 sits well below 30. Those are real differences, and they are a good reason to read the October PDF itself, not a portal’s summary of the July one. If you were eligible under July’s rules, you may not be under October’s.
Proof of date of birth is on the required document list, so have the Class 7 or Class 10 certificate ready, and check that the date of birth matches every other document you attach.
Selection process
MaruGujarat.in reports three steps. Candidates are shortlisted first on educational qualification and experience. Shortlisted candidates take a swimming test, conducted as per DPA’s prescribed norms. A final merit list is then prepared, reportedly based on performance in the swimming test.
If that is accurate, it has a clear implication. No written test is reported, and the paper stage is only a gate. After you clear the gate, the swimming test is what ranks you. The shortlisting method is not described, so you cannot know how many candidates will be called or whether extra experience helps you at that stage. Send every relevant certificate to be safe, since nothing in the reports says extra documents are penalised.
Not published: the swimming test’s distance, time limit, style, whether it is in a pool or open water, whether you will be in clothing, and how marks are awarded. Results and candidate lists are to appear on the official DPA website, per the earlier July notice. Whether the same holds for this one is not stated in what I read.
Salary and what a three-year contract means
The reported pay is ₹30,000 per month, a figure that appears in the reports for both the October Marine Helper posts and the July Topaz posts. It is not stated whether this is consolidated, whether any allowances are added, or what leave and other service conditions apply. The reports do not say anything about renewal after three years.
This matters when you compare the job with regular government employment. The engagement is contractual, labelled as class IV, with a fixed term of three years. It is not a regular appointment, and nothing reported promises regularisation. For a candidate with a stable job elsewhere, the decision to leave it for a fixed-term contract deserves a clear head. For a candidate who has been working informally, a documented, salaried contract at a major port could be a strong step. The point is to decide with the terms in front of you, and the full terms are in the notice.
How to apply
The process is offline. No online form is reported.
- Download the prescribed application form, Annexure-I, from deendayalport.gov.in.
- Fill it in, typed or neatly written in capital letters.
- Affix a recent passport-size photograph in the right-hand corner.
- Attach self-attested copies of your documents: 7th pass certificate, caste certificate if applicable, one photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN or Voter ID), experience certificate, proof of date of birth, and any document proving swimming knowledge.
- Put the application and documents in an envelope addressed to The Dy. Conservator, Deendayal Port Authority, Administrative Office Building, Room No. 211, Post Box No. 50, Gandhidham (Kutch), Gujarat 370201.
- Send it by Speed Post or registered post so it reaches on or before 13 November 2026, and keep the receipt.
Copy the address from the notice itself. The version above is from MaruGujarat.in, and a single wrong digit in a PO box number is enough to lose an application.
Documents to keep ready
The list reported by MaruGujarat.in has six items: the 7th pass certificate, the caste certificate if you are claiming a reservation or relaxation, a photo ID, the experience certificate, proof of date of birth, and swimming proof if you have any.
Self-attest every copy. Write your name and sign across the copy, and do not send originals. Make a complete photocopy of the whole packet before posting it. Then store it with the postal receipt, because if you are called for the swimming test, you will want to see exactly what you submitted.
If you hold a swimming certificate, such as one from a sports authority, a lifesaving body or a training programme, attach it. The notice lists it as an optional document, and in a process where swimming decides the merit list, any documented proof helps establish that you belong on the shortlist.
Preparing for the swimming test
Since the test format is not published, this is my suggestion and not a requirement from the notice.
Prepare for general water competence, not a single stroke. That means swimming a continuous distance without stopping, treading water, floating on your back to rest, and being comfortable in deep water. If you can practise in open water, such as a river, a lake or the sea, with someone supervising, do so. A candidate who swims lengths comfortably in a pool can still be unsettled by waves, murky water or a lack of a wall to push off.
Practise swimming while wearing ordinary clothes, in safe conditions, as marine work is not done in swimwear. And never train alone in open water. If you cannot swim well yet, three weeks of coaching can still help, but be honest about your level and do not claim a skill you lack on the form.
Where applications fail
The reports say incomplete applications will be rejected, and in a postal process the common causes are predictable.
- No experience certificate, or one that does not match the stream you chose.
- An address error, or a courier used where a PO box needs India Post.
- Documents that are not self-attested, or photographs that are missing.
- A date of birth that differs between the application and the certificates.
- A form that arrives after 13 November.
Also be careful with portal summaries, which can carry a typo or mix up the July and October notices. Match the dates, the age limit and the address against the PDF on deendayalport.gov.in. No application fee is reported, and the notice reportedly does not specify one, so do not pay anyone to submit your form or to guarantee a place.
What is not yet known
- Whether the October notice supersedes the July one, and what that means for earlier applicants.
- How shortlisting on qualification and experience will be done.
- The swimming test’s standard, location and date.
- Whether any fee applies, since the reports say it is not specified.
- Duties, work location and service conditions of the posts.
- What happens after the three-year term.
Important Links
| Link Description | Link |
|---|---|
| Official Notification / Notice PDF | Download Here |
| Official Website | Click Here |
FAQs
I applied in August under the Topaz (Marine Helper) notice. Do I need to apply again? The reports do not say. The October notice has different stream names and a different age limit, so read it for any line about earlier applications. If it is silent, ask DPA through the contact details on its official website rather than relying on a portal.
I have a 7th pass certificate and can swim, but no certificate of experience. Can I apply? The reports describe a minimum of one year of experience as part of the requirement, with the certificate compulsory. Without a certificate your application is at serious risk of rejection. Try to get a proper certificate from your past employer before the deadline.
Is there a written test? None is reported. The reported stages are shortlisting by qualification and experience, a swimming test, and a merit list based on the swimming test.
Can I send the application by private courier? The address is a Post Box, and private couriers usually cannot deliver to one. India Post Speed Post or registered post is the safer choice. Confirm the address in the notice.
Is the job permanent? No. The engagement is contractual for three years, with pay reported at ₹30,000 per month. Nothing in the reports mentions regularisation or renewal.