CISF to implement sector‑based restructuring from 1 November

What the reorganisation entails

The Central Industrial Security Force announced that, effective 1 November, its traditional territorial sectors will be replaced by a functional, sector‑based command structure. The change has been cleared by the Ministry of Home Affairs and is presented as a historic step towards a more specialised security apparatus.

New sector designations

Under the new layout the force will supervise establishments that share similar economic or strategic profiles, regardless of geography. The National Capital Region will become the Government Building Museums and Monuments and Mass Rapid Transit System (GBMM & MRTS) Sector, headquartered in New Delhi, covering ministries, museums, historic monuments and metro networks.

The former North Sector in New Delhi and the North‑Eastern Sector‑II in Kolkata will be redesignated as Power‑I and Power‑II sectors respectively, consolidating all power‑plant and grid facilities under two dedicated commands.

The Eastern Sector in Ranchi will turn into the Coal Sector, while the Central Sector in Bhilai becomes the Steel Sector. The North‑Eastern Sector in Guwahati will be renamed the Petroleum and Natural Gas Sector.

On the coasts, the Western Sector in Mumbai and the Southern Sector in Chennai will become the West Coast Port Sector and East Coast Port Sector, each tasked with overseeing security at seaports along India’s western and eastern shores.

The existing Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space (DAE & DoS) Sector in Bengaluru, as well as Airport Sector‑I in New Delhi and Airport Sector‑II in Bengaluru, will continue under their current functional arrangements.

Why the change matters

A senior CISF officer told the Press Trust of India that the force recognised “different energy and strategic sectors have distinct operational processes, infrastructure, potential hazards and security vulnerabilities”. By grouping like‑with‑like, the CISF expects to develop sector‑specific expertise, standardise Standard Operating Procedures and improve coordination with the concerned ministries and installation managers.

The force, which today comprises roughly 2.70 lakh personnel, says the functional model will also enhance accountability and uniformity across its wide‑ranging duties – from protecting airports and atomic facilities to guarding currency note presses and mass‑rapid‑transit systems.

Expanding responsibilities

India’s coastline hosts around 250 large and small seaports, of which the CISF currently guards 13 major ports such as Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Mundra Port. The creation of two dedicated coastal sectors is therefore positioned as a boost to the force’s maritime security capability, aligning with its status as a Recognised Security Organisation under the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

Beyond physical security, the CISF has been tasked with protecting high‑security correctional facilities in Jammu and Kashmir and acting as the nodal agency for aerial security of critical infrastructure. Recent initiatives to strengthen cybersecurity, drone and anti‑drone capabilities are also being folded into the new sector framework, the force said.

Looking ahead

With the functional reorganisation slated to take effect on 1 November, the CISF hopes the new structure will deliver a more specialised, sector‑oriented security apparatus capable of meeting the evolving challenges facing India’s strategic and economic assets.