A person shall not be registered as the owner of an Indian ship or of a share therein until he or, in the case of a company, [or a co-operative society] the person authorised by this Act to make declarations on its behalf has made and signed a declaration of ownership in the prescribed form referring to the ship as described in the certificate of the surveyor and containing the following particulars:-

(a) a statement whether he is or is not a citizen of India; [or in the case of a company, or a co-operative society, whether the company or a co-operative society, satisfies the requirements specified in clause (b) or, as the case may be, clause (c) of section 21;] [ Substituted by Act 43 of 1981, Section 5, for " or in the case of a company, whether the company satisfies the requirements specified in clause (b) of Section 21" (w.e.f. 28.9.1981).]

(b) a statement of the time when and the place where the ship was built or if the ship is built outside India and the time and place of building is not known, a statement to that effect; and in addition, in the case of a ship previously registered outside India, a statement of the name by which she was so registered;

(c) the name of her master;

(d) the number of shares in the ship in respect of which he or the company, [or the co-operative society] [ Inserted by Act 43 of 1981, Section 5 (w.e.f. 28.9.1981).], as the case may be, claims to be registered as owner; and

(e) a declaration that the particulars stated are true to the best of his knowledge and belief.