Completely confused about DNS sponsorships, companies & Feb/Aug batches – need guidance

Hey everyone,

I’m currently in Class 12 and will be passing 12th this year. I’ve decided that I want to pursue the Merchant Navy through DNS, and I know the basic eligibility requirements like 60% in PCM, 60% in English, IMU-CET, medical, etc.

But honestly, I’m still very confused about the actual admission and sponsorship process.

I keep seeing people talk about February batch, August batch, DNS sponsorships, different companies, sponsorship exams/interviews, etc., and I don’t really understand how everything connects.

I basically want to apply for as many genuine DNS sponsorship opportunities as I’m eligible for, but I don't know:

1. Which companies offer DNS sponsorships for fresh 12th-pass students?
2. Which companies usually recruit for the February batch and which for the August batch?
3. When do applications for these companies usually open?
4. Do I apply for the company sponsorship first, or do I apply to the college first?
5. How does IMU-CET fit into the whole process?
6. If I give IMU-CET this year, can that rank be used for the February DNS batch as well?
7. Are there separate sponsorship exams/interviews for each company?
8. Is there any proper list/calendar where I can track all DNS sponsorship forms and their deadlines?
9. Since I’m passing 12th this year, is there anything I should start doing right now so that I don’t miss any applications?

I’m not looking for the basic eligibility explanation — I already know about the PCM/English/medical requirements. I’m mainly confused about the companies + sponsorship + application timeline + Feb/Aug batches.

If anyone who has actually gone through the DNS sponsorship process could explain the whole thing step-by-step from Class 12 → IMU-CET → sponsorship → college → joining, I’d really appreciate it.

Even a simple timeline/month-wise explanation would help a lot.

Thanks!