Statement of Objects and Reasons.-At present security arrangements at important industrial undertakings in the public sector are handled by the Watch and Ward staff of the organisation concerned. The Watch and Ward staff is generally engaged in guarding the entrances or the perimeter of the industrial undertaking and in preventing entries of unauthorised persons. Unplanned recruitment, inadequate supervision, training and discipline have made the existing watch and ward staff ill-equipped to discharge its responsibilities. It is considered necessary to strengthen the security arrangements in vital industrial undertakings. For that purpose it is proposed to constitute a centrally recruited; organised and trained Industrial Security Force. The Force will primarily be responsible for the watch and ward of industrial undertakings owned by the Central Government and may be deployed at the request and cost of managements, for security duties of industrial undertakings in public sector.

2. The Bill is intended to give effect to these proposals.

3. The following are the principal features of the Bill:-

(a) The Central Industrial Security Force will be constituted and maintained primarily for the better protection and maintenance of industrial undertakings owned by the Central Government (clause 3 of the Bill).

(b) The Superintendence of the Force shall vest in the Central Government and subject thereto the administration of the Force shall vest in the Inspector-General of the Force who will be assisted by a Deputy Inspector-General, a Chief Security Officer and other Security Officers, etc. (clause 7 of the Bill).

(c) On a request being received from the Managing Director of an industrial undertaking in public sector, such number of officers and members of the Force as the Inspector-General may consider necessary may be deputed by the Inspector-General for the protection and security of that industrial undertaking and the cost to be incurred in connection with such officers and members while on deputation shall be borne by the industrial undertaking and not by the Government (clause 14 of the Bill).

(d) The duties of the officers and members of the Force have been spelt out in great detail (clause 10 of the Bill).

(e) Limited powers of arrest and search without warrant have been given to superior officer under specified circumstances (clauses 11, 12 and 13 of the Bill).

(f) Other provisions of the Bill deal with matters relating to recruitment, training, supervision, discipline, removal, dismissal, etc., of the members of the Force.

Amendment Act 14 of 1983-Statement of Objects and Reasons.-The Central Industrial Security Force has been constituted under the Central Industrial Security Force Act, 1968 with the object of providing for the better protection and security of industrial undertakings owned by the Central Government, as well as those in public sector. This Force has now been in existence for a period of about 13 years. During this period, the sanctioned strength of the Force has grown from about 2,000 to about 49,000 officers and men and the Force is at present deployed in 115 industrial undertakings. The responsibilities of the Force have also grown greatly in magnitude as well as complexity. The Force is today concerned, inter alia, with providing security to highly sensitive undertakings like the installations of Department of Space, Department of Atomic Energy, Oil Refineries, Petro-chemical Plants, Steel Plants and major ports. The security of these installations has a bearing not only on economic and industrial growth but also on the security and defence of the country. In view of these circumstances and also based on actual experience of the working of the Force, an urgent need has been felt for making the Force an armed force of the Union and for giving some additional powers for dealing with the problems of security of the industrial undertakings. It is, therefore, proposed to amend the Central Industrial Security Force Act to convert the Force into an armed force of the Union and to make it a more effective instrument for providing security to vital industrial undertakings.

2. The following are principal features of the Bill:-

(a) The Force will be made an armed force of the Union and consequential changes made in the rank, structure and nomeclature of the Force (clauses 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 13 of the Bill).

(b) Power of the members of the Force to arrest without warrant is being extended so as to cover assaults, use of criminal force, wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt to members of the Force. This provision broadly covers offences under section 353, Indian Penal Code (assault on public servant in discharge of duties) and section 332, Indian Penal Code (voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant in discharge of duties). Power to arrest without warrant is also being extended to cover offences against property which may be lying in the premises of an industrial undertakin or installation. Similary, power to arrest without warrant has been extended to cognizable offences involving imminent danger to the life of persons engaged n carrying on the work of the undertaking (clause 9 of the Bill).

(c) Restrictions have been proposed on the right to form association on the lines of similar restrictions in other armed forces of the Union (clause 10 of the Bill).

(d) Punishment for offences which may be committed by members of the Force, such as violation of the duty, wilful breach of rules, regulations, lawful orders, cowardice, etc., has been enhanced from six months to one year. A provision has been made for investment of powers of a Magistrate on the Commandant for inquiring into or trying such offences under certain circumstances (clause 11 of the Bill).

3. The Bill seeks to achieve the above objects.

Amendment Act 22 of 2009-Statement of Objects and Reasons.-The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constituted under the Central Industrial Security Force Act, 1968 (No. 50 of 1968) provides protection and security to the Central Government Industrial Undertakings. By the amendment of 1983, the CISF was declared as an Armed Force of the Union. The amendment of the Act in 1999 enabled the Central Government to entrust any other duty to the Force and also made provision for consultancy to private sector in security matters.

2. With the growing threat of terrorist outfits, industries in the private sector and joint venture, which have contributed to the growth of economy also require security by CISF. It is, therefore, proposed to amend the relevant sections of the Central Industrial Security Force Act, 1968 to enable the deployment of CISF for security of private sector undertakings and joint ventures on cost reimbursement basis.

3. There are a few other amendments required for administrative reasons. Sections 4 and 7 of the Act mention specifically the ranks of the supervisory officers of the Force. It is proposed to keep a generic provision in the Act so that changes in ranks and designations will not require amendment to the Act.

4. Section 14(2) of the Act stipulates one month's notice from the management of a PSU for the withdrawal of CISF, which is considered inadequate for the force as considerable amount of logistics and administrative arrangements are involved. It is therefore proposed to enhance this notice period from one to three months.

5. Section 15 of the Act is also proposed to be amended to enable deployment of CISF outside India in Indian Embassies or UN Peacekeeping Missions, etc.

6. The Bill seeks to achieve the above objects.

Act 20 of 1989 - The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was raised under the Central Industrial Security Force Act, 1968 to provide protection and security to Central Government Industrial Undertakings. At present, it is deployed in 182 Government, Public Undertakings all over the country. The demands from Government/Public Undertakings for deployment of the CISF have grown in recent years due to the prevailing security environment in some parts of the country. The managements of these undertakings expect CISF to provide security not only to vital industrial installations but also to the employees of these undertakings. Increasingly therefore, the CISF, as an Armed Force of the Union, is being called upon to ensure the protection of machinery and property as well as the employees who are essential to running these undertakings. The Force is expected to he in a position to provide effective security to the employees of these undertakings so that they could attend to their jobs without any fear while on duty.

2. At present, under section 11(1)(iii), the CISF can only act in times of "imminent danger " which is interpreted to mean immediate danger which cannot he instantly met or one that cannot be guarded against by calling on the assistance of others or the protection of the law. The CISF cannot exercise its limited powers of arrest under this section unless these conditions are met. The word "imminent " qualifying the word "danger " is a serious limitation upon the freedom of CISF to act in the face of a threat and does not seem warranted in the present circumstances. It is proposed, therefore, to remove the word "imminent " occurring in clause (iii) of sub-section (1) of Section 11 of the CISF Act.

3. It is also considered appropriate to take the opportunity to substitute the word "remove " for the word "suspend " in clause (1) of Section 87 of the Act This will bring Section 8 of the Act in conformity with provisions contained in the Constiuuion and other Service Rule.

[2nd December, 1968]

[An Act to provide for the constitution and regulation of an armed force of the Union for the better protection and security of industrial undertakings owned by the Central Government, certain other industrial undertakings, employees of all such undertakings and to provide technical consultancy services to industrial establishments in the private sector and for matters connected therewith.] [Substituted by Act 40 of 1999, Section 2, for the long title (w.e.f. 29.12.1999). ]

Be it enacted by Parliament in the Nineteenth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-