To plug the gaps in coastal security, the Union Government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as the security regulator for over 250 seaports in the country, a senior government official has said. The government intends to deploy a “sovereign entity” at private seaports which handle cargo, the official said, bringing them under a uniform security architecture.
To begin with, at least 80 seaports that handle export and import of goods will be regulated by the CISF to manage access control, screening of cargo and patrolling of seafront. The seaports, which handle cargo, will see the presence of a “sovereign” security force.
The CISF currently provides security to all 13 major seaports — Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Odisha, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Andhra Pradesh.
Presently, there is no uniform security template for seaports and at many places the security arrangements are being handled by private security agencies and local police.
Coastal security is among the topics that will be discussed at the Director Generals of Police (DGP) conference organised by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) next week in Chhattisgarh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will sit through the presentations made by police officers from across the country.
In 2023, following deliberations at the National Security Strategy Conference, guidelines were issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to handle seaport security.
On November 18, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways issued an order designating CISF as the Recognised Security Organisation (RSO) for seaports under the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
“Just like the airports, CISF will be the lead agency for seaports. There are various gaps and with careful study and audit, the problem areas will be addressed. While the core functions at 80 airports that handle cargo will be with the CISF, the other 170 seaports will be secured phase-wise,” said the official.
According to CISF’s estimate, around 800-1,000 personnel are required to be deployed to secure each seaport. The CISF has requested MHA to sanction 10,000 additional personnel for deployment at 80 seaports.
“There is adequate deployment at land borders of the country but when it comes to coastal security we have a long way to go. The areas are open and security architecture is almost absent. Presently, no sovereign entity is there to secure the private sea ports,” the official added.
This is an outcome of a Joint Committee of CISF and Director General Shipping, constituted in September 2024, which made a comprehensive study of port security, conducted gap analysis and made recommendations on the remedial measures to the Government of India.
Under a hybrid security model, core security functions at all EXIM (export-import) ports will be carried out by CISF and non-core duties such as traffic management, gate control and ancillary tasks may be undertaken by State Police or Private Security Agencies (PSAs).
“This layered approach is designed to improve accountability, efficiency and security uniformity across the country’s port ecosystem in line with MHA guidelines for security of non-major ports issued in July 2023,” the official said. The CISF will also conduct mandatory training for private security personnel.
