A Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) shall soon be constituted as a statutory body under provisions of Section 13 of newly promulgated Merchant Shipping Act, 2025. It will be modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened a meeting recently to discuss the parameters of setting up the BoPS.
The Bureau, to be headed by a Director General, shall function under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and shall be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.
The body will ensure security of vessels and port facilities. The BoPS shall be headed by an IPS officer. During the transition period of one year, the Director General of Shipping (DGS/DGMA) shall function as the Director General, BoPS.
In the meeting, Shah emphasised on the need to establish a robust port security framework across the country and directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location and other relevant parameters.
BoPS shall ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cyber security, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats.
CISF has been designated as a Recognised Security Organisation (RSO) for port facilities with responsibility for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for ports.
The force has also been mandated to train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security. These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only licensed PSAs operate in this sector. During the meeting, it was also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain.
