(1)

Any certificate which has been granted by the Central Government under this Act to any master, mate or engineer, may be cancelled or suspended for any specified period, by the Central Government in the following cases, that is to say,-

(a) if, on any investigation or inquiry made by any Court, tribunal or other authority for the time being authorised by the legislative authority in any country outside India, the Court, tribunal or other authority reports that the master, mate or engineer is incompetent or has been guilty of any gross act of misconduct, drunkenness or tyranny, or in a case of collision has failed to render assistance, or to give such information as is referred to in section 348, or that the loss, stranding or abandonment of, or damage to, any ship or loss of life has been caused by his wrongful act or default;

(b) if the master, mate or engineer is proved to have been convicted-

(c) if (in the case of a master of an Indian ship) he has been superseded by the order of any Court of competent jurisdiction in India or outside India.

(2)

The Central Government may at any time, if it thinks the justice of the case so requires,-

(a) revoke any order of cancellation or suspension made by it under [sub-section (1) or sub-section (1-A) or] [ Substituted by Act 20 of 1979, Section 3, for " sub-Section (1) or " (w.e.f. 4.5.1979).] set aside any order of cancellation or suspension made by a Court under section 370 or any order of suspension made by a Marine Board under clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 376 or any order of censure made by a Court under section 371; or

(b) shorten or lengthen the period of suspension ordered by it under [sub-section (1) or sub-section (1-A) or] [Substituted by Act 20 of 1979, Section 3, for " sub-Section (1) or " (w.e.f. 4.5.1979).] by a Court under section 370 or by a Marine Board under clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 376 or cancel a certificate suspended by a Marine Board under that clause; or

(c) grant without examination a new certificate of the same or any lower grade in the case of any certificate cancelled or suspended by it under [sub-section (1) or sub-section (1-A) or] [Substituted by Act 20 of 1979, Section 3, for " sub-Section (1) or " (w.e.f. 4.5.1979).] by a Court under section 370 or any certificate suspended by a Marine Board under clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 376:

(3)

A certificate granted under clause (c) of sub-section (2) shall have the same effect as if it had been granted after examination.