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Defence & Security
Mahesh

22/12/23 07:03 AM IST

CISF set to take over Parliament security

In News
  • The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to take security charge of the Parliament building from the Delhi Police.
About CISF
  • In June 1964, a devastating fire had broken out in Ranchi’s Heavy Engineering Corporation plant, with reports suggesting sabotage.
  • This led to the appointment of the Justice Mukherjee Commission which recommended the establishment of a dedicated industrial protection force.
  • Thus, the CISF was set up by an Act of Parliament on March 10, 1969.
Security protection
  • As the name suggests, the CISF was created “for the better protection and security of Industrial undertakings.”
  • It was first inducted at the Fertilizer Corporation of India manufacturing plant in Trombay, Maharashtra, on November 1, 1969.
  • Initially, its remit was restricted to protecting government-owned industries, but this was expanded to include joint-ventures and private undertakings in 2009. It also provides consultancy services to the private sector.
Central Armed force
  • It is one of seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) under the MHA — the other six being the Border Security Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the Sashastra Seema Bal, the Assam Rifles, the National Security Guard, and the Central Reserve Police Force.
  • ‘Security’ also includes fire coverage, especially given CISF’s origin story. The first fire wing unit with a strength of 53 personnel was Inducted in Cochin’s FACT on April 16, 1970.
  • Eventually a separate fire service cadre within the force was set up in 1991, which today is India’s largest, and best trained and equipped fire fighting force.
  • It is also the only CAPF with a dedicated fire fighting wing.
Expanding role over time
  • Over the years, CISF’s strength and remit has significantly evolved to include much more than simply guarding factories and industrial premises.
  • Today, the force is deployed in over 350 locations across the country, in diversified areas such as atomic energy and space installations, sea-ports, steel plants, coal fields, hydro-electric and thermal power plants, defence production units, fertiliser and chemical industries, RBI’s note-printing mints, heritage monuments such as the Taj Mahal, more than 60 airports, Delhi Metro, and other important government buildings.
  • Notably, it is a compensatory cost force — which means that it bills its clients for the services it provides.
Strength
  • The CISF operates with a sanctioned strength of 1.8 lakh personnel.
  • This is exponentially more than the force’s strength at the time of inception, which was roughly 3,000 personnel only.
  • Headquartered in Delhi, it is headed by an Indian Police Service officer with the rank of Director-General.
  • The force is divided into nine sectors (Airport, North, North-East, East, West, South, Training, South-East, Central), in addition to its Fire Service Wing.
  • CISF has the largest percentage of women in its force, in comparison to all other CAPFs.
  • The first batch of women constables was inducted in 1987, and the first woman officer joined as Asstt. Comdt in 1989.
  • CISF is currently headed by Special DG Nina Singh, the first woman to occupy the post.
Source- Indian Express

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