New Delhi, 19 December. Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Friday held a review meeting regarding the formation of a dedicated Bureau of Port Security (BOPS) for the security of ships and ports. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Union Civil Aviation Minister were also present in this meeting.

Emphasizes the need to establish a strong and effective security framework

During the meeting, Amit Shah stressed the need to establish a strong and effective security framework for ports across the country. He directed that the safeguards should be implemented in a risk-based and phased manner, taking into account business potential, geographical location and other relevant parameters.

Director General will lead the bureau

BOPS will be constituted as a statutory body under the provisions of Section 13 of the recently enacted Merchant Shipping Act, 2025. The Bureau will be headed by a Director General and will function under the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MOPSW). BOPS will be responsible for regulatory and inspection functions to the security of ships and port facilities.

Will be on the lines of Civil Aviation Security Bureau BOPS Formation of

BOPS is being formed on the lines of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). It will be headed by a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer (Pay Level-15). During the transition period of one year, the Director General of Shipping (DGS/DGMA) will act as the Director General of BOPS.

Special emphasis on cyber security

BOPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security information, with special emphasis on cyber security. It will also include a dedicated division to secure the ports’ IT infrastructure from digital threats.

CISF Will do security assessment of ports

With a view to strengthen the security infrastructure of ports, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been designated as Recognized Security Organization (RSO) for port facilities. CISF will conduct security assessment of ports and prepare security plans.

Along with this, CISF has also been entrusted with the task of training and capacity building the private security agencies deployed in port security. These agencies will be certified and appropriate regulatory measures will be implemented to ensure that only licensed private security agencies operate in the sector. It was also mentioned in the meeting that the experiences gained from the maritime security framework would also be used in the aviation security sector.