Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Latest News

India marked the Raising Day of the Central Industrial Security Force on March 10, recognising the vital role the force plays in protecting the country’s most important infrastructure and industrial assets.

About Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)

• It is a Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) in India operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• It provides security to various critical infrastructures, including 70 airports and 361 important national installations.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Motto: “Protection and Security”.

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Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Establishment

• The idea of forming a specialised industrial security force gained urgency after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, which exposed the vulnerability of vital economic assets during wartime.
• The CISF came into existence in 1969 through the CISF Act 1968 with a sanctioned strength of only three battalions. 
• The original charter of CISF was to provide integrated security cover to certain sensitive public sector undertakings.
• The Act was amended in 1983, declaring the CISF as an Armed Force of the Union. 
• The force has since grown into a premier multi-skilled organization with a present strength of more than 188,000 personnel.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)  Organisation Structure

• CISF is headed by an Indian Police Service officer with the rank of Director-General, assisted by an IPS officer in the rank of Addl. Director-General.
• The force is divided into seven sectors (Airport, North, North-East, East, West, South, and Training) and also has a Fire Service Wing.
• The force consists of seven training institutes – six Recruit Training Centers and the National Industrial Security Academy (NISA). 

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Functions

• The CISF security umbrella includes India’s most critical infrastructure facilities, like nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports, power plants, etc.
• The specialized task of airport security was assigned to CISF in the year 2000 in the wake of the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814 to Kandahar.
• In addition, the CISF also protects important government buildings, iconic heritage monuments, Delhi Metro, Parliament House Complex, and Central Jails of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The CISF also has a specialized VIP Security vertical, providing round-the-clock security to important protectees.
• CISF personnel are trained in disaster management techniques, enabling them to actively respond to natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and cyclones. 
• CISF is one of the largest Fire Protection Service providers in the country. CISF is the only force with a customized and dedicated fire wing.
• Post the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008, the mandate of the CISF was broadened to provide security cover to private corporate establishments also.
• It is a compensatory cost force, which means that it bills its clients for the services it provides.
• The CISF is the only CAPF with a daily public interface – in the airports, in the Delhi Metro, and in the iconic monuments.

Source: ITV