CISF to reorganise sectors into specialised units from Nov 1, including west and east port sectors

New Delhi: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has undertaken a major reorganisation of its country-wide field formations beginning November 1, with the creation of two new sectors on the west and the east coast to look after the security of the country's 250 large and small sea ports, officials said on Sunday.CISF Strengthens Critical Infrastructure Security Through Functional ReorganisationWith the concurrence of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the revised functional structure of CISF will come into effect from 1st November 2026, aligning sectoral supervision with the… pic.twitter.com/Dn8AyWz2Wg— CISF (@CISFHQrs) October 19, 2026 The aim of the exercise is to "align" the operational and administrative control structure of the paramilitary with the specific security requirements of India's strategic, energy security and economic sectors like power, coal, steel, petroleum and natural gas, government buildings, museums, monuments, seaports and apart from mass rapid transit systems like the Delhi Metro.At present, the 1969-raised force headquartered in Delhi has organised its field administrative bases and its 2.70 lakh manpower on the basis of territorial jurisdiction, where the security deployment of the force was mixed, for example, a particular office used to handle both power and coal sector units.CISF to implement administrative and operational restructuring from November 1, 2026, to strengthen security oversight of critical infrastructure and strategic installations across sectors, including power, coal, steel, petroleum, ports, government buildings, monuments and public… pic.twitter.com/hMOTFGtFw0— United News of India (@uniindianews) October 18, 2026 CISF units guarding the space, atomic energy and airports were an exception and are already under a specific command."It was felt that each such energy and strategic sector had its distinct operational processes, infrastructure, potential hazards and security vulnerabilities and hence should be clubbed together and placed under one jurisdiction irrespective of their geographical location," a senior CISF officer told PTI.He added that this was a "timely reform" which will get operational from November 1 following concurrence from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)."The functional reorganisation will improve operational oversight, promote sector-specific expertise, ensure greater uniformity in security practices and strengthen coordination with the ministries concerned, departments and installation managements," he said.Rajnath Singh Leaves For Tajikistan To Represent India At SCO Heads Of Government Meeting, With Focus On Economic Ties & Regional Cooperation It is in this direction that the forces' Western Sector headquartered in Mumbai and the Southern Sector based in Chennai have been redesignated as the West Coast Port Sector and the East Coast Port Sector respectively, the officer added.The move comes in the backdrop of the Centre designating the CISF as the nodal seaports security force of the country last year following its recognition as the Recognised Security Organisation (RSO).There are about 250 large and small seaports in the country, and the force currently guards 13 big ones, including JNPT in Maharashtra and Mundra in Gujarat."For the nation, this reorganisation ensures that India's strategic and economic assets are guarded by a highly specialised, sector-specific security apparatus," the CISF said in a statement. (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Starting November 1, the Central Industrial Security Force will reorganize into functional sectors to enhance security management. This restructuring aims to address the specialized needs of various industries and government installations. Eleven sectors will be transformed to focus on specific sectors like coal, power, and petroleum. Existing arrangements for the Department of Atomic Energy and airports will remain unchanged. The move is expected to improve operational oversight and sector-specific expertise.

Move aims at strengthening specialised security management across critical infrastructure and strategic establishments under the Force’s protection

In a historic step, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will implement a major functional reorganisation of its administrative and operational structure from November 1 to strengthen specialised security management across critical infrastructure and strategic establishments nationwide.The reorganisation, approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), will realign the force's existing territorial sectors according to the specific security requirements of different industries and establishments, including power, coal, steel, petroleum and natural gas, ports, government buildings, museums, monuments and mass rapid transit systems.Under the revised structure, the force said, the National Capital Region Sector will be reorganised as the Government Building Museums and Monuments and Mass Rapid Transit System (GBMM & MRTS) Sector, New Delhi.The North Sector in New Delhi and North Eastern Sector-II in Kolkata will be restructured as the Power-I and Power-II Sectors, respectively. The Eastern Sector in Ranchi will become the Coal Sector, while the Central Sector in Bhilai will be converted into the Steel Sector.Similarly, the North Eastern Sector in Guwahati will become the Petroleum and Natural Gas Sector. The Western Sector in Mumbai and the South Sector in Chennai will be transformed into the West Coast Port Sector and East Coast Port Sector, respectively.The existing Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space (DAE & DoS) Sector in Bengaluru, Airport Sector-I in New Delhi and Airport Sector-II in Bengaluru will continue under their respective functional arrangements.The reorganisation, it said, aims to improve operational oversight, develop sector-specific expertise, ensure greater uniformity in security practices and strengthen coordination with the concerned ministries, departments and installation managements.The CISF provides security to a wide range of establishments, including airports, seaports, atomic energy and space installations, power plants, power grids, steel plants, coal mines, petroleum and natural gas facilities, currency note presses, government buildings, iconic monuments and mass transit systems.Each sector has distinct operational processes, infrastructure, potential hazards and security vulnerabilities, requiring specialised security arrangements.Under the earlier system, administrative and operational supervision was largely organised on the basis of territorial jurisdiction. Over the past 25 years, the force has progressively adopted a functional approach in selected sectors, including aviation and strategic establishments under the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Space.The experience gained from this approach highlighted the advantages of specialised supervision, focused training, sector-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), better utilisation of specialised personnel and closer coordination with the concerned organisations.Building on this experience, the CISF reviewed the supervisory structure of the remaining territorial sectors and undertook the functional realignment following deliberations with supervisory formations, branches at force headquarters and senior officers, before obtaining MHA approval.The restructuring assumes significance as the CISF's mandate is expanding beyond conventional industrial security to cover new and specialised responsibilities.The force has been designated as a Recognised Security Organisation (RSO) for port facilities under the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. The functional realignment of port-sector supervision is expected to support specialised port-security expertise and improve coordination with port authorities and other stakeholders.The CISF has also been entrusted with security responsibilities at high-security correctional facilities in Jammu and Kashmir and designated as the nodal agency for aerial security of critical infrastructure.The force is strengthening its cybersecurity and drone and anti-drone capabilities through specialised training and collaboration with premier institutions to improve preparedness against cyberattacks, digital threats and hostile unmanned aerial systems.The reorganisation is expected to establish a more specialised, sector-oriented security apparatus, improve operational accountability and strengthen protection of India's strategic and economic assets.