The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is one of the largest paramilitary forces of the country and has strength of a little over 96 thousand personnel. The organisation was given the responsibility of airport security some time ago from the local police of the respective states. There was a security lapse last week at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi when a scooter was allowed access in the prohibited area. Director General of CISF, K.M. Singh admits to Amitabh Shukla that there was a security lapse but adds that it was a case of "human failure" and such lapses would be prevented at all costs.

Q: How does the CISF maintain airport security around the country?

A: Airport security came to us following the Kandahar hijack of the Indian Airlines aircraft. Moreover, with globalisation and more and more foreigners coming to the country a need was felt for a specialised force to deal with the higher echelons of the society. At present, the CISF provides security to 47 airports across the country and 11,500 personnel are involved in this exercise.

Q: What is the criteria for selecting personnel for airport security out of the huge pool of manpower which the organisation has?

A: We select only the best people for airport security. We have a manual on the type of personnel who are suited for airport security. The age profile of the person, his educational background and qualifications, body language etc. is counted in selecting the person for airports. Before induction at the airport, he is given an extensive training on how to deal with passengers. Then in service training is provided on a regular basis to these personnel. These personnel ensure that security norms are followed with politeness and firmness.

Q: What exactly happened when a SPG man and a female CISF constable managed to get their scooter through the prohibited area in the vicinity of the runway?

A: This was definitely a security lapse and we have taken immediate action. A sub-inspector, a head constable and a constable have been suspended. We also wrote to the SPG to take strict action against Ashok Bhatt, who strayed in the airport. He is being sent to his parent cadre of ITBP. The lady constable Kusum Lata too has been suspended and departmental proceedings are on. Bhatt and Kusum Lata strayed on a service road close to the runway while visiting the mazar of Peer Baba in the airport. Kusum Lata used to work at the airport till a month back and was transferred to some other unit. She had come to have the blessings of Peer Baba along with her relative. As the CISF personnel manning the gate knew her personally, she was allowed entry. Though this was a human failure, it should not have been allowed. It is however, wrong to say that the scooter strayed in the runway and was close to the Royal Jordanian aircraft. The logbook of the Airport Traffic Control (ATC) indicates that the pilot of the Jordanian aircraft did not even mention the incident. The scooter stopped some 200 meters from the aircraft when the aircraft started moving for the runway.

Q: What happened when toy pistols were taken inside a PIA aircraft?

A: Well, this cannot be called a security lapse at all. The toy pistols were made of plastic and were meant for children. Moreover, plastic cannot be detected through the metal detectors. One can even take a mini tank made of plastic in the aircraft without detection. We have not taken any action against the personnel concerned as this was not a breach of security.

Q: Can the metal detectors detect any plastic based explosive?

A: The machines that we have at present cannot detect plastic based explosives. However, such explosives are of no use unless they are attached to detonators and wires. We can easily detect the detonators and the attached wires. Sniffer dogs, however, are suitable for detecting plastic explosives. They are used for this purpose. Only the Tel Aviv airport in Israel has a system to detect plastic based explosives. This is however, very costly.

Q: What is being done to check the stress level of the CISF personnel so that another Namdev is not repeated?

A: Well, the Namdev case at Mumbai airport was not due to stress but some flimsy reason. We have lesser stress levels amongst the personnel than those of other paramilitary forces. We have introduced yoga in a big way to reduce the stress level. Moreover, we have a grievance redressal mechanism in place where the senior officers designate a day to meet their juniors and sort out their problems, if any. (October 24, 2004)