Centre to set up Bureau of Port Security to boost maritime security ecosystem: Why it matters

The Centre on Friday decided to set up a robust maritime security framework for India's ports and vessels, called the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS).

The decision was taken in a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, that also saw the presence of Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.

Constituted as a statutory body under Section 13 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 launched in August, the BoPS will function similarly to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)—it will be headed by an IPS-level Director General, and will be a part of the shipping ministry. 

The point of the BoPS is to serve as a framework within which the timely analysis, collection, and exchange of maritime security-related information can take place.

The BoPS will also have a special focus on cybersecurity, with a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats.

At the meeting, Shah directed that security measures be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.

Notably, the decision to constitute the BoPS comes exactly a month after the Centre officially designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as the regulatory authority for about 250 ports across the country.

The paramilitary force, which, until then, guarded India's 13 major ports and about 70 airports, was designated as a Recognised Security Organisation (RSO) for seaports under the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code. 

Now, the CISF will also be mandated to train and build the capacities of Private Security Agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.