Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who reviewed the performance of the police modernisation division of the Home Ministry, took stock of the Private Security Agency Regulation Act, 2005 and the proposal to amend it for tailoring it to the prevailing requirements. The Home Minister advised the officials to take appropriate steps for providing training facilities for private security guards and finalisation of Standard Operating Procedures for cash handling, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.
There are around 50 lakh private security guards in the country and they provide security cover to corporate offices, malls, industrial sites and residential buildings but are unarmed, barely trained, and of little use in emergencies. Their fitness level is also suspect. The private security industry, despite its generally poorly-trained men, is expected to grow into a Rs 40,000-crore sector this year, according to a FICCI study.
The Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005, makes it mandatory for every guard to undergo at least 160 hours of training– 100 hours of classroom learning and 60 hours of on-the-job training. Singh also suggested a task force, guidelines for student police cadets and community policing
