The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is undertaking a major restructuring of its nationwide operations to improve security at India's strategic and economic installations. The exercise aims to bring facilities facing similar security risks under a single command, regardless of their geographical location.
The reorganisation, which will take effect on November 1, will also see the creation of two dedicated coastal sectors to oversee security at India's nearly 250 major and minor seaports.
According to officials, the main objective is to ensure that the CISF's operational and administrative structure meets the specific security needs of different sectors, including power, coal, steel, petroleum, natural gas, government buildings, museums, monuments and mass rapid transit systems such as the Delhi Metro.
At present, the CISF, which was established in 1969 and is headquartered in Delhi, manages most of its field formations based on geographical boundaries.
Under this system, a single administrative office may oversee security at installations belonging to different industries, such as power and coal.
However, CISF officials believe this arrangement does not fully address the different security challenges faced by each sector.
A senior CISF officer told news agency PTI that industries such as power, coal and petroleum have different operational processes, infrastructure, potential hazards and security vulnerabilities. "It was felt that each such energy and strategic sector had its distinct operational processes, infrastructure, potential hazards and security vulnerabilities and hence should be clubbed together and placed under one jurisdiction irrespective of their geographical location," the officer said.
The restructuring will bring installations belonging to the same sector under a common command, even if they are located in different parts of the country.
CISF units responsible for the security of airports, space facilities and atomic energy installations already operate under separate, sector-specific commands. The new arrangement will extend this approach to other important sectors.
According to the CISF, the changes will help the force develop specialised expertise in protecting different types of installations. The new structure is expected to improve supervision, bring greater consistency to security procedures and strengthen coordination between the CISF and the ministries and organisations responsible for these facilities.
"The functional reorganisation will improve operational oversight, promote sector-specific expertise, ensure greater uniformity in security practices and strengthen coordination with the ministries concerned, departments and installation managements," the senior officer said.
The officer described the restructuring as a timely reform that would come into effect on November 1 following approval from the home ministry.
The changes will affect the administrative and operational management of the force, which has around 2.70 lakh personnel across the country.
An important part of the restructuring is the creation of dedicated sectors for seaport security.
The CISF's existing Western Sector, headquartered in Mumbai, will be redesignated as the West Coast Port Sector, while the Southern Sector, headquartered in Chennai, will become the East Coast Port Sector. These two sectors will focus on the security of the country's large and small seaports.
The move follows the Centre's decision last year to designate the CISF as the country's nodal seaport security force after it received recognition as a Recognised Security Organisation (RSO).
At present, the CISF provides security to 13 major ports, including Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Maharashtra and Mundra Port in Gujarat.
The creation of dedicated coastal sectors is intended to strengthen the force's ability to oversee port security under its expanded responsibilities.
The CISF believes the new system will help it provide more specialised protection to facilities that are important to India's economy, energy security and strategic interests.
Instead of managing installations mainly according to their location, the force will organise its operations around the specific security needs of each sector.
This is expected to help CISF personnel gain greater familiarity with the risks and operational requirements of the installations they protect.
"For the nation, this reorganisation ensures that India's strategic and economic assets are guarded by a highly specialised, sector-specific security apparatus," the CISF said in a statement.
