The central government has officially designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as the regulatory authority for about 250 ports across the country.
The paramilitary force, which currently guards India's 13 major ports and about 70 airports, has been designated as a Recognised Security Organisation (RSO) for seaports under the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code.
The ISPS code is a set of vital security practices for international shipping, mandated as compulsory by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
In a major security policy stride towards enhancing India's port security architecture, the Central government has designated Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as Recognized Security Organisation (RSO) for port security under the International Ship and Port Facility…
— ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2025
According to CISF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ajay Dahiya, the new categorisation of the central paramilitary force (under the Union Home Ministry) was done by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) through an order issued on November 18, as per a PTI report.
This "landmark reform" marks a major push for maritime safety and uniformity, in line with globally competitive ports and India’s own maritime ambitions.
Calling the historic reform a "challenging" assignment for the force, a senior officer said that the CISF's new seaport duties involved providing consultancy for the establishment of security systems and gadgets, deploying hybrid security manpower, and training all stakeholders in the sector.
Till now, seaport security was being dealt with by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) under the Directorate General of Shipping, which had (maritime) security gaps. Reports say the idea for a unified RSO emerged after various top-level security meetings chaired by the PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
According to an MoPSW order, the CISF will now undertake fresh Port Facility Security Assessments (PFSA) and prepare Port Facility Security Plans (PFSP) for the 80 EXIM (Export-Import) ports across the country.
It has also been proposed that the CISF carry out core security functions, such as counter-terrorist and anti-sabotage operations—especially at all EXIM ports—while non-core duties, such as traffic management, gate control and other ancillary jobs will be rendered by state police forces, State Industrial Security Forces, or private security agencies.
