Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) to bolster maritime safety and cybersecurity

Key facts

• India is establishing the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) to bolster maritime safety, mirroring aviation security models.
• The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).
• Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.
• The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats.
• The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.
• The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.