Home Minister Amit Shah Moves to Set Up Bureau of Port Security
New statutory body to strengthen vessel and port security with risk-based, cyber-focused framework
- Amit Shah convenes meeting to constitute Bureau of Port Security (BoPS)
- BoPS to be a statutory body under Merchant Shipping Act, 2025
- Security measures to follow graded, risk-based approach
- CISF designated as Recognised Security Organisation for ports
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 19th Dec: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Friday convened a high-level meeting to initiate the constitution of a dedicated Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) aimed at strengthening the security of vessels and port facilities across the country. The meeting was attended by the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Minister of Civil Aviation.
During the meeting, Shah underlined the need for a robust and comprehensive port security framework nationwide. He directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, factoring in vulnerabilities, trade potential, geographic location and other relevant parameters.
The Bureau of Port Security will be constituted as a statutory body under Section 13 of the newly promulgated Merchant Shipping Act, 2025. Headed by a Director General, the BoPS will function under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and will be responsible for regulatory oversight relating to the security of ships and port facilities. The body is being modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and will be headed by an IPS officer of Pay Level-15. During the one-year transition period, the Director General of Shipping will function as the Director General of BoPS.
The new bureau will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special emphasis on cyber security. A dedicated division will be created to safeguard port IT infrastructure against digital threats.
To further strengthen port security, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been designated as a Recognised Security Organisation for port facilities. CISF will be responsible for conducting security assessments and preparing security plans for ports. It has also been tasked with training and capacity-building of Private Security Agencies engaged in port security, which will be certified and regulated to ensure that only licensed agencies operate in the sector.
During the meeting, it was also noted that best practices and lessons learned from the maritime security framework could be replicated in the aviation security domain to further enhance national security.
