The New Indian Express News

Centre to soon set up Bureau of Port Security; Amit Shah reviews safety of vessels, coastal hubs

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday convened a high-level meeting to review the security of vessels and port facilities across the country and initiate the constitution of a dedicated Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) to enhance the security of coastal logistic hubs, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in an official statement. The proposed Bureau of Port Security will be established as a statutory body under Section 13 of the newly promulgated Merchant Shipping Act, 2025,it said, adding that the body will function under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and will be responsible for regulatory oversight and coordination related to the security of ships and port infrastructure. Chairing the meeting, Shah stressed upon the need for a robust and future-ready port security framework and directed that security measures be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, the MHA said, while noting that he also said that the framework should factor in vulnerabilities, trade potential, geographical location and other relevant parameters to ensure effective protection of critical maritime assets. The BoPS will be headed by a Director General of the rank of an IPS officer in the pay matrix of Level-15 and will be modeled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the MHA said, adding that during the preliminary phase of one year, the Director General of Shipping would function as the Director General of the Bureau of Port Security. According to the MHA, the new body will focus on timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with special emphasis on cyber security. A dedicated division will be created within the Bureau to protect port-related IT infrastructure from emerging digital threats, it added. As part of the revamped security framework, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been designated as a Recognised Security Organisation (RSO) for port facilities and the force will be responsible for conducting security assessments and preparing security plans for ports across the country. The CISF has also been tasked with training and capacity building of Private Security Agencies deployed at ports, while these agencies will be certified and regulatory measures will be introduced to ensure that only licensed and trained private security providers operate in the port security ecosystem. The meeting was attended by the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Minister of Civil Aviation. The MHA said lessons drawn from the strengthened maritime security framework would also be leveraged to further improve security mechanisms in the aviation sector.