Mumbai, April 6 The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and the Rashtriya Raksha University have signed an agreement to set up and operate an indigenous testing center for the performance evaluation and certification of full-body scanners and other security screening equipment used at airports, an official release said on Monday.
Under the agreement, the facility will conduct independent evaluation, verification, and certification of the specifications and performance of equipment supplied by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and submit impartial and scientifically robust assessment reports for regulatory consideration.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) Director General Rajesh Nirwan, and Rashtriya Raksha University Vice Chancellor Bimal Patel, among others.
This partnership creates a formal institutional framework for cooperation between BCAS and the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in the areas of testing, certification, research, training, and standards development related to aviation security equipment.
The aim is to strengthen India's aviation security ecosystem through a credible, independent, and scientifically rigorous mechanism for assessment and regulatory support, the release stated.
The partnership will also promote research and innovation in the field of aviation security, enabling continuous refinement of testing methodologies, accreditation criteria, and deployment protocols in response to evolving threat scenarios and technological developments.
In addition, it will facilitate national and international collaborations to align India's testing and certification ecosystem with global best practices.
"Our airports handle 250 to 300 aircraft movements and cater to a massive footfall of about 40,000-45,000 passengers every hour. Therefore, it is very important to adopt the highest standards of technology and professional competence in the operations of BCAS," Naidu said.
"This MoU between BCAS and RRU is a step forward in that direction towards building a future-ready and resilient aviation security ecosystem," Naidu said.
Stating that the highlight of this association is definitely the focus on building self-reliance in aviation security equipment, the minister said, "While aligning with foreign certification practices, we should now aim to emerge as a global hub for aviation security certification."
"I strongly believe that by combining the regulatory authority of BCAS with the technical prowess of RRU, we will build an indigenous ecosystem for security equipment certification, which will resonate with international practices such as those overseen by the TSA in the United States and ECAC in Europe," the minister said.
The MoU also provides for the establishment of testing laboratories at RRU, aligned with global standards, to carry out rigorous performance, safety, and interoperability assessments.
This will support the development of an institutionalized accreditation framework to ensure that only equipment meeting prescribed technical and operational benchmarks is considered for deployment in critical aviation security environments, the release said.
The agreement further envisages cooperation in academics, research, extension, and training programs for mutual benefit, including capacity-building initiatives through workshops, specialized training programs, and knowledge-sharing activities aimed at developing professional expertise in testing, accreditation, and emerging aviation security technologies.