India needs to start thinking about US-like ‘TSA’ security at airports

India should devise a special force for the security of the airports on the lines of the United States’ Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in view of growing challenges emerging with the growth of the aviation sector in the country, a top official said.

The Aviation Secretary has sought suggestions and views from the country’s aviation stakeholders about the steps to be taken to strengthen India’s aviation security and establish US-like security.

“The growth of aviation in the country is very fast and we will also see challenges, so we should have security like TSA in the country,” Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) Secretary Rajiv Bansal said while referring to deadly aviation attacks of 9/11 and Kanishka crash.

Citing the 9/11 attack in the US, Bansal said that India needs to start thinking along the lines of the US.

“There is two paradigm incident for us one is Kanishka crash and I think for global 9/11 is the biggest incident in aviation, global security changed after that and the formation of the TSA concept in the US and perhaps now it is a time that we in India need to start thinking on this concept,” he said.

The TSA comprehensively develops security for the US transportation system, including highways, railroads, buses, mass transit systems, enrolment pipelines, and intermodal freight facilities. The TSA’s primary focus is on airport security and aircraft hijacking prevention.

“I solicit any views and suggestions for this august audience, intellectual manpower that we have in past DGs and present DG that they can make any suggestion for this I will very happy to take it,” Secretary Rajiv Bansal said.

148 airports
Currently, India has two professional security agencies which are looking after Airports security — Central Industries Security Forces (CISF) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) — which report to the Home Ministry of the country.

However, several other agencies are also handling the safety and security of the movements through transportation. The Indian government intends to sync all the agencies into one. Customs, immigration and DGCA are also part of Indian aviation for safety, security and policy is a concern.

The government is engaged in improving the security of its airports considering the increase in the number of airports in the country aggressively.

“We have like 148 airports today. We should keep the growing level of about 220 aiprorts in next three years, from the smallest airports in the country to the largest in Delhi. We should have a seamless security system,” Rajiv Bansal said.

“CISF has deployed its security at 66 airports out of 148,” he added.

On the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) raising day on April 27, Director General (DG) of BCAS Zulfiquar Hasan said, “Despite modern threat in aviation, BCAS makes every effort to avoid hijacking... No hijacking has happened in the 21st century, no major incident has happened in aviation in India but a lot has happened in rest of the world.”

-B