Report No. 62

1B.12. Position before 1933-requirement of registration.-

This brings us to the amendment of 1933. It appears that before 1933, there was a requirement that the ship must be registered in British India, but1 the Report of the Royal Commission on Indian Labour pointed out that many Indian seamen were employed on British ships, and those ships were registered outside British India, so that the Act was not available to them.2 No doubt, as that Commission pointed out, certain arrangements had been made to protect their rights by ensuring that they would be entitled to compensation under the British law, and that the Workmen's Compensation Commission in India would act as the arbitrator (under the British law) for determining the claim under the British law. But, since the arrangement was found to be unsatisfactory, the Royal Commission suggested removal of the word" "registered", in this as well as in the other sections pertaining to ships.

1. Report of the Royal Commission on Indian Labour.

2. See also para. 1B.20, infra.