Mundali (Odisha), March 6 Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Friday that the Central Industrial Security Force will now be responsible for the security of various sea ports across the country.
In his address at the 57th Raising Day of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) here, Shah said that the force already protects 361 critical installations, including 71 airports, the Parliament complex, and the Statue of Unity near Kevadia in Gujarat.
"The CISF undertakes a wide range of tasks. You are protecting the grand monument of Sardar Patel, you are safeguarding our Parliament complex, the largest panchayat of our democracy, and elsewhere, you are securing dams and critical railway installations," Shah said.
The home minister also detailed the shift towards maritime and aerial defense, saying that, along with these established roles, the government has worked to include the security of ports for the CISF.
Shah announced that the CISF has been designated as the nodal agency for drone security and said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to create a new vertical for this purpose.
Highlighting the force's growing presence over the past year, Shah listed several new locations approved for CISF protection, including the Kartavya Bhavan, Seva Teerth, Noida International Airport, Navi Mumbai Airport, and various critical energy and mining projects such as the Talaipalli coal mine project in Chhattisgarh.
"Once the CISF takes over the security of the ports, our maritime safety will improve in line with the country's economic growth," Shah said.
This announcement follows a decision by the Centre to designate the CISF as a Recognised Security Organisation (RSO) under the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code, effectively making it the new safety regulator for approximately 250 facilities along India's maritime borders.
This role was previously managed by the Indian Register of Shipping, but the government identified a need for a professional paramilitary agency to handle core functions such as counter-terrorism and anti-sabotage operations at all export-import ports.