Amit Shah Chairs Meeting to Set Up Bureau of Port Security for Ports and Vessels
Summary
Date: 20 December 2025
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting to kick off the constitution of a statutory Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) to strengthen security at Indian ports and on vessels. The BoPS will be formed under Section 13 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will operate under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
The Bureau will be modelled on the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). It will be headed by a Director General — an IPS officer at Pay Level-15 — and will take on regulatory and oversight duties for ship and port facility security. During a one-year transition, the Director General of Shipping will act as the DG (BoPS).
The BoPS will prioritise a graded, risk-based rollout of security measures that account for vulnerabilities, trade volumes and geography. It will also place emphasis on timely collection, analysis and sharing of security information, and will create a dedicated division to protect port IT infrastructure and tackle cyber security threats.
To bolster implementation, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been named a Recognised Security Organisation (RSO) for port facilities. CISF will run security assessments, prepare port security plans, and train and certify Private Security Agencies (PSAs); regulatory steps will ensure only licensed PSAs operate in ports. The meeting also noted that best practices from maritime security will be mirrored in aviation security where appropriate.
Key Points
- Government to establish a statutory Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025.
- BoPS will be modelled on BCAS and led by a Director General (IPS officer, Pay Level-15); DG Shipping to act as DG during a one-year transition.
- Security rollout to be graded and risk-based, considering vulnerabilities, trade volumes and location.
- BoPS will handle regulatory oversight, information collection/sharing and set up a dedicated cyber security division for port IT infrastructure.
- CISF designated as Recognised Security Organisation (RSO); it will assess ports, prepare security plans and certify/train Private Security Agencies.
Context and Relevance
This is a notable policy move for Indian maritime security and logistics. Establishing a central statutory body creates a single regulatory touchpoint for port and vessel security, which should standardise procedures, improve threat intelligence sharing and raise compliance standards across the sector. For ports, terminal operators, shipping lines and security providers, the BoPS will affect operations, contracting and certification requirements.
Why should I read this?
If you work in ports, shipping, maritime security or supply-chain operations — read this. It signals new rules, new certs and a stronger focus on cyber defence at ports. Short version: big change coming, and you’ll want to know how it affects contracts, security staffing and compliance. We’ve boiled it down so you don’t have to trawl the full brief.
Author style
Punchy: This is a major institutional step — a central security regulator for ports will rework how maritime security is governed, enforced and audited. If you care about risk, compliance or port operations, the details matter.