CISF to restructure into sector-based security commands from 1 November

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will implement a major functional reorganisation of its administrative and operational structure from 1 November, shifting from territorial supervision to a domain-based model, the force announced on 18 October. The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the restructuring, which will realign existing sectors according to the specific security requirements of industries including power, coal, steel, petroleum and natural gas, ports, government buildings, museums, monuments and mass rapid transit systems.

Under the new structure, the North Sector in New Delhi becomes the Power-I Sector, and the North Eastern Sector-II in Kolkata becomes the Power-II Sector. The Eastern Sector in Ranchi will be the Coal Sector, the Central Sector in Bhilai the Steel Sector, and the North Eastern Sector in Guwahati the Petroleum and Natural Gas Sector. The Western Sector in Mumbai and the South Sector in Chennai will be redesignated as the West Coast Port Sector and East Coast Port Sector respectively. The existing DAE and DoS Sector, Airport Sector-I and Airport Sector-II remain unchanged. The CISF, raised in 1969, has about 2.70 lakh personnel and guards 13 major ports among the country's 250 seaports. The force said the move aims to improve operational oversight, develop sector-specific expertise and strengthen coordination with ministries and installation managements.

The restructuring builds on the CISF's experience with functional commands in aviation and strategic establishments over the past 25 years. The force has also been designated as the nodal agency for seaport security under the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code and has taken on security duties at high-security correctional facilities in Jammu and Kashmir. The CISF is strengthening its cybersecurity and drone and anti-drone capabilities through specialised training.