Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah and Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal review the progress made in the establishment of the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS)

Prelims-testable facts

• 01The Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) is being established as a statutory body under the provisions of Section 13 of the Merchant Shipping Act.
• 02The BoPS will be headed by a Director General and will function under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
• 03The BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and inspection functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.
• 04All ports covered under the BoPS security framework should have container scanning facilities.
• 05A database of all security personnel to be deployed under the BoPS should be created.
• 06Only licensed private security agencies should be entrusted with port security, and only those private security personnel who have received training from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) should be deployed.

Trap alerts

• Most people think that the Bureau of Port Security is a new initiative, but actually it is being established as a statutory body under existing provisions.
• Most people think that port security is solely the responsibility of the Ministry of Home Affairs, but actually it will function under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.