CISF to be roped in for Parliament security

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)?
• Responsibilities of CISF:
• News Summary: CISF to be roped in for Parliament security
• Existing security system in Parliament

Why in news?

• Days after the Parliament security breach, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to carry out a survey of the Parliament premises for regular deployment.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)

• CISF is one of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) established under an Act of Parliament, “Central Industrial Security Force Act, 1968.
• CISF was established in 1969 to provide integrated security cover to certain sensitive public sector undertakings with a strength of only three battalions.
  • The force has since grown into a premier multi-skilled organization with a present strength of 1,63,590 personnel.
• It works under the administrative control of Ministry of Home Affairs and its headquarter is located at New Delhi.

Operations

• Critical Infrastructure:
  • CISF is currently providing security cover to 353 establishments through the length and breadth of the country.
  • Some of these includes Atomic Power Plants, Space Installations, Defence Production Units, Mines, Oil Fields and Refineries etc.
• Fire Protection:
  • The CISF also has its own Fire Wing which provides services to 104 of the above establishments.
• VIP security:
  • CISF has also been mandated to provide protection to the VIP protectees of Z+, Z, Y and X category across the country.
• Airports:
  • The specialized task of airport security was assigned to CISF in the year 2000 in the wake of hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814 to Kandahar.
• Private sector:
  • The CISF Act was amended to enable the Force to provide security, on payment basis, to private / joint venture industrial undertakings, which are vital for the security and economy of the country.
  • E.g. - The Infosys campuses in Mysuru, Bengaluru and Pune, the Patanjali Food and Herbal Park in Haridwar and the Reliance refinery in Gujarat's Jamnagar
• Overseas Deployment:
  • CISF has contingents deployed at United Nations Stabilizations Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).
• The CISF is the only Central Armed Police Force with a daily public interface; in the airports, in the Delhi Metro and in the iconic monuments.

News Summary: CISF to be roped in for Parliament security

• Union Home Ministry has approved the deployment of CISF in the Parliament complex. The decision comes days after the December 13 security breach in the Parliament.
• The CISF will work with the Parliament Security Services to control access to the new and old Parliament complex.

Existing security system in Parliament

• At present, access control such as frisking and scanning the baggage is the responsibility of the Delhi police,
  • Eight Delhi police security personnel who were responsible for frisking and baggage scanning were suspended after the incident.
• The Parliament Duty Group (PDG), an armed component of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is deployed in case an armed intervention is required.
• The Parliament Security Service under the Lok Sabha Speaker is the overall in-charge of security.

Q1) What is Parliament Security Service?

The Parliament Security Service (PSS) is a specialized department that manages security and order within the Parliament House Complex.

Q2) What is MINUSTAH?

MINUSTAH is an acronym for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti. It was a peacekeeping mission that operated from 2004 to 2017. The mission's goal was to support the Transitional Government in creating a stable and secure environment.

Source: CISF to be roped in for Parliament security | The Hindu | Hindustan Times