New Delhi
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday directed the Fisheries Department to write to district magistrates (DMs) and superintendents of police (SPs) of all districts, asking them to submit to the central government a list of all fish landing centers in their jurisdictions, as part of efforts to enhance security at ports across the country.
The Minister issued the directive during a meeting to review the progress made in the formation of the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) – a new federal agency expected to be established by the end of this year to oversee port security nationwide.
Officials familiar with the matter said that the Center is scheduled to hold the first meeting on coastal border security in the coming months, with the participation of police chiefs in coastal areas. Shah had chaired a meeting on Thursday with nearly 120 district chiefs to discuss land border security issues.
The Center approved the establishment of the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) on December 19, 2025. This agency dedicated to port and ship security will be modeled on the Bureau of Civil Aviation (BCAS). While 13 major ports are under the cover of CISF currently, the central force will soon be deployed in 67 additional major ports, officials said.
“The Home Secretary directed that only licensed private security agencies should be entrusted with port security and only CISF-trained private security personnel should be deployed. He stressed that training of security personnel at the Port Security Training Institute (PSTI) should begin as soon as possible. He also directed that a database of all security personnel to be deployed under the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) be created,” his official spokesperson said.
“Shah ordered the Indian security forces to conduct trial runs of the security arrangements before the PSP takes over security at major ports across the country, including Visakhapatnam, Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Mundra,” the official added.
