| Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the Central Industrial Security Force | |
 Flag of the Central Industrial Security Force | |
| Abbreviation | CISF |
| Motto | "संरक्षण एवं सुरक्षा" Protection and Security |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 10 March 1969; 56 years ago (1969-03-10) |
| Employees | 190,000 active Personnel[1] |
| Annual budget | ₹16,828.85 crore (US$2.0 billion)(2026–27)[2] |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Federal agency | India |
| Operations jurisdiction | India |
| Governing body | Ministry of Home Affairs |
| Constituting instrument | |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive | |
| Notables | |
| Person |
|
| Website | |
| cisf | |
TheCentral Industrial Security Force (CISF) is acentral armed police force inIndia, under theMinistry of Home Affairs. CISF's primary mission is to providesecurity policing services to large institutions, whether state-owned or privately owned.
It was set up under an Act of theParliament of India on 15 March 1969 with a strength of 2,800. CISF was subsequently formally authorized by another Act of Parliament passed on 15 June 1983. Its current active strength is 148,371 personnel.[4] In April 2017, the government raised the sanctioned strength from 145,000 to 180,000 personnel. Recently the strength has been increased to 200,000.[5]
Among its duties are guarding sensitive governmental buildings, Parliament complex, the Delhi Metro, and providing airport security.[6]
CISF alsoprovides consultancy services to private industries as well as other organisations within the Indian government. The scope of CISF's consulting practice includes security consulting and fire protection consulting.
It also plays a major role in Disaster Management. The CISF has a 'Fire Wing' which helps during fire accidents in Industries where the CISF is on guard.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was established by an Act of Parliament on 10 March 1969 with an initial sanctioned strength of approximately 188,000 personnel.
As its name indicates, it was created to provide better protection and security to industrial undertakings across the country. Initially, protection was limited to industries wholly owned by the Central Government. This restriction has since been relaxed, and the CISF now also safeguards joint-venture enterprises in which the Central Government has a stake.
Over the years, the role of the CISF has significantly expanded and diversified. Today, in addition to industrial units, it provides security toairports,seaports,metro rail networks, key government buildings, heritage monuments (including theTaj Mahal andRed Fort), opium and alkaloid extraction units, nuclear power plants, and space establishments.The CISF also specialises in VIP security and disaster management. Currently, it performs a wide range of duties related to internal security, election security, anti-Naxal operations, and any other tasks assigned to it by the Government of India.[7]
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The CISF is headed by anIndian Police Service officer with the rank of Director-General, assisted by an IPS officer in the rank of Addl. Director-General. The force is divided into Nine Sectors (Airport, North, North-East, East, West, South, Training, South-East, Central) and also has a Fire Service Wing.
The Airport Sector is commanded by an IPS officer in the rank of Addl. Director-General, assisted by an Inspector-General. The Airport Sector is divided into a number of Field Formation Units, one for each airport. Units at major international airports are commanded by a Deputy Inspector-General or Commandant; units at smaller airports by a Deputy or Assistant Commandant. The other six Sectors are each commanded by an Inspector-General, who is assisted by a Deputy Inspector-General.
The seven regional Sectors are divided into Zones, each commanded by a Deputy Inspector-General. Within each Zone are a number of Units, each under the command of a Commandant, or a DIG for certain major Units. A Deputy Commandant serves as the second-in-command of most units, or as the head of a smaller unit. Within the Training Sector, theNational Industrial Security Academy (NISA) is headed by an Inspector-General; the Fire Service Training Institute (FSTI) and six other recruit training centres are headed by Deputy Inspectors General.
The Financial Adviser of the CISF has been anIndian Revenue Service officer of the rank of Director and also has Dy Advisers from the Indian Audit and Accounts Service and Indian Civil Account Service.
Being a central Indian police agency and having high presence ofIndian Police Service officers, CISF follows ranks and insignia similar to other police organisations in India. Non-gazetted (enrolled) officers and members use the same ranks as other Indian police forces.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Central Industrial Security Force[8][9] |
|  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Inspector general - | Deputy inspector-general - | Senior commandant - | Commandant - | Deputy commandant - | Assistant commandant - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Subordinate Officers (SO) | Non commissioned officers (NCO) | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Industrial Security Force[8][9][10] |  |  |  |  | No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Inspector निरीक्षक | Sub inspector उप निरीक्षक | Assistant sub-inspector सहायक उप निरीक्षक | Head constable हवलदार | Constable कनिष्ठबल | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Indian Parliament on 25 February 2009, authorised the provision of Central Industrial Security Force security to private and cooperative establishments across the country for a fee with the passage of the CISF (Amendment) Bill, 2008.
The Bill, which was passed byRajya Sabha on 19 February andLok Sabha on 25 February 2009, also provides for deployment of CISF to protect Indian missions abroad and its participation in the UN peacekeeping operations.
CISF started providing security to theInfosysBengaluru campus on 31 July 2009.[11] TheInfosys inMysuru, theReliance Jamnagar Refinery and the Delhi Metro Airport Express Line are in the list of private sector establishments placed under CISF cover. Manish Kumar Rai, Assistant Commandant, led the first contingent of CISF deployed at Infosys Bengaluru.
CISF has also started providing security to the InfosysPune campus from 21 April 2011.[12]
In 2016, the Patanjali Food and Herbal Park received 35 full-time, armed Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) commandos. The park was the eighth private institute in India to be guarded by paramilitary CISF forces.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is responsible for security atall commercial airports in India, that is handled by specializedAirport Sector, which oversees aviation security operations across the country. Airport security was previously handled by state-controlled airport police. The idea of transferring this responsibility to the CISF was first raised after the1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, though it remained dormant for two years.
In the wake of the9/11 terrorist attacks in theUnited States, theGovernment of India moved to strengthen aviation security and formally adopted the proposal to deploy the CISF at airports.Jaipur Airport became the first to come under CISF control on 3 February 2000, and most other commercial airports soon followed.[13]
As of February 2023, the CISF provides security at 66 international and domestic airports across the country.[14][15]
Security on theDelhi Metro is provided and handled by theCISF Unit Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which assumed responsibility from theDelhi Police in 2007.[16] It oversees an extensive surveillance system, with feeds reviewed in real time by both CISF and Metro control rooms. More than 3,500 CISF personnel are deployed across the network, supported by metal detectors, X-ray baggage scanners, and dog squads. Each train car is equipped with an intercom for emergency communication with the driver, and regular security drills are conducted to ensure operational preparedness.[17][18]
From 20 May 2024 onwards, the CISF has been entrusted with the responsibility of securing the entire Parliament House complex, including both theold andpresent Parliament buildings following the withdrawal of Parliamentary Duty Group (PDG) personnel of theCRPF andDelhi Police due to a recent security breach. To enhance the complex’s security architecture, the CISF has implemented an upgraded framework, that covers access control, perimeter & internal security, counter-terror preparedness, and emergency response.
Over 3,300 personnel are deployed with advanced screening systems and specialised training inDrone,Cyber,CBRN and NSG/Army modules.[19]
In addition to providing protection, safety, and security to industrial undertakings, the CISF also offers specialized protection against fire hazards. It is the onlyCentral Armed Police Force with a full-fledged fire service wing, which is also the largest fire-fighting force in the country. The CISF’s first fire unit, comprising 53 personnel, was inducted atFertilisers and Chemicals Travancore,Kochi, on 16 April 1970, following recommendations by a commission led by Justice B. Mukherjee that investigated a major fire at theHeavy Engineering Corporation plant inRanchi on 29 January 1970.[20]
In January 1991, theGovernment of India approved recruitment rules for various posts to establish a dedicated fire service cadre within the CISF, which formally began functioning on 12 January 1991. As of 31 March 2020, the fire wing has been inducted into 104 units and has a total strength of 8,482 personnel.[21][22]
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been tasked to takeover the security of all theports in India. As of 2026, the CISF already provides the security of 12 major ports across India, however that of over 200 other non-major ports, 78 of which handles export-import operations, are protected by the respectiveState Police Forces. On 19 January, CISFDirector General,Praveer Ranjan said that the responsibility of these additional 78 ports will be transferred to the force. TheUnion Home Minister,Amit Shah, also recently chaired a meeting to take up the case of vessels and port security.[23]
The force will establish a dedicated "vertical for seaports" in line with the Airport Sector arrangement. A Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) will also be established as astatutory body on the lines of theBureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). The new units will require 12,000 personnel and their recruitment and training for the specific requirements has been approved by the government. The force is now preparing an action plan. A dedicated training centre is being considered at a maritime institute at theOkha Port,Gujarat where personnel will be trained before deployment. The operations will follow a hybrid model similar to the one adopted in airport security, where the operations are divided into core and non-core functions.[23]
A committee headed byAdditional Director General Sudhir Kumar has submitted a six-point set of recommendation report to the government which suggests the formation of the Recognised Security Organisation (RSO). The RSO will be tasked for the security assessment and planning of each port. These functions were earlier carried out by private agencies. The government has also accepted the recommendation to lay out different standards of security based on the category of port. The report also suggest the deployment of drive-through container scanning system at these ports. Jab moments should be monitored by the IntegratedCommand and Control Centre (ICCC).[23]
In 2006, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), on the basis of recommendations of theIntelligence Bureau, raised a special unit called Special Security Group (SSG) to provide security cover to people nominated by the Home Ministry. It came into existence on 17 November 2006. This unit is responsible for providing physical protection, evacuation, mobile and static security cover to persons who have been nominated by the Home Ministry.[24]: para 2.129 For a person to be eligible for security cover by CISF special unit, the intelligence bureau and other secret police agencies are required to specify the danger after a detailed 'threat analysis', which are often fudged for political and other considerations.[25][26] In addition to CISF the Government also utilizes CRPF for personal security cover.
A contingent of the CISF was deployed atUnited Nations Stabilizations Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) /United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) since 17 August 2008. It was repatriated to India on 31 December 2018.[31]
On 17 July 2024, the CISF deployed officers alongside the CRPF, SSB, ITBP, NSG and the Assam Rifles to provide security assistance to thePolice Nationale andGendarmerie Nationale for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.[32]
