law: Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923 
  15. Special provisions relating to master and seamen 
  This Act shall apply in the case of workmen who are masters of
  
  ships or seamen subject to the following modifications namely :-
  The notice of the accident and the claim for compensation may
  
  except where the person injured is the master of the ship be served on the
  
  master of the ship as if he were the employer but where the accident happened
  
  and the disablement commenced on board the ship it shall not be necessary for
  
  any seaman to give any notice of the accident. In the case of the death of a
  
  master or seaman the claim for compensation shall be made within one year after
  
  the news of the death has been received by the claimant or where the ship has
  
  been or is deemed to have been lost with all hands within eighteen months of
  
  the date on which the ship was or is deemed to have been so lost :
  Provided  that the Commissioner may entertain any claim
  
  to compensation in any case notwithstanding that the claim has not been
  
  preferred in due time as provided in this sub-section if he is satisfied that
  
  the failure so to prefer the claim was due to sufficient cause.
  (3) Where an injured master or seaman is discharged or left
  
  behind any part of India or in any foreign country any depositions taken by any
  
  Judge or Magistrate in that part or by any Consular Officer in the foreign
  
  country and transmitted by the person by whom they are taken to the Central
  
  Government or any State Government shall in any proceedings for enforcing the
  
  claim be admissible in evidence -
  if the deposition is authenticated by the signature of the Judge
  
  Magistrate or Consular Officer before whom it is made; if the defendant or the
  
  person accused as the case may be had an opportunity by himself or his agent to
  
  cross-examine the witness; and if the deposition was made in the course of a
  
  criminal proceeding on proof that the deposition was made in the presence of
  
  the person accused and it shall not be necessary in any case to prove the
  
  signature or official character of the person appearing to have signed any such
  
  deposition and a certificate by such person that the dependant or the person
  
  accused had an opportunity or cross-examining the witness and that the
  
  deposition if made in a criminal proceeding was made in the presence of the
  
  person accused shall unless the contrary is proved be sufficient evidence that
  
  he had that opportunity and that it was so made.
  (4) No half-monthly payment shall be payable in respect of the
  
  period during which the owner of the ship is under any law in force for the
  
  time being relating to merchant shipping liable to defray the expenses of
  
  maintenance of the injured master or seaman.
  No compensation shall be payable under this Act in respect of
  
  any injury in respect of which provision is made for payment of gratuity
  
  allowance or pension under the War Pensions and Detention Allowances
  
  (Mercantile Marine etc.) Scheme 1939 or the War Pensions and Detention
  
  Allowances (Indian Seamen etc.) Scheme 1941 made under the Pensions (Navy Army
  
  Air Force and Mercantile Marine) Act 1939 (2 & 3 Geo. 6 c 83) or under the
  
  War Pensions and Detention Allowances (Indian Seamen) Scheme 1942 made by the
  
  Central Government. Failure to give a notice or make a claim or commence
  
  proceedings within the time required by this Act shall not be a bar to the
  
  maintenance of proceedings under this Act in respect of any personal injury if
  
  - an application has been made for payment in respect of that injury under any
  
  of the schemes referred to in the preceding clause and the State Government
  
  certifies that the said application was made in the reasonable belief that the
  
  injury was one in respect of which the scheme under which the application was
  
  made makes provision for payments and that the application was rejected or that
  
  payments made in pursuance of the application were discontinued on the ground
  
  that the injury was not such an injury and the proceedings under this Act are
  
  commenced within one month from the date on which the said certificate of the
  
  State Government was furnished to person commencing the proceedings.