The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has revised the tenure of its staff deployed in Parliament to a minimum of four years. They are currently posted for three years. Personnel with a clean service record and only those who pass psychological assessment tests will be deployed, a CISF official said.
The revised policy comes in the wake of complaints from several members of Parliament who were stopped or questioned by CISF personnel while entering the premises.
With the extended tenure, the CISF personnel will become more familiar with MPs and their movement patterns in Parliament, which is essential to ensure accurate identification, secure access protocols, layered threat detection and response, the official said.
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Following the security breach at the new Parliament building on 13 December 2023, the Union Home Ministry approved the deployment of the CISF at the complex. Duties were previously assigned to Parliament’s security service, which had been deployed since 1950 and had been specially trained to recognize and interact with MPs.
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is overall responsible for security in the parliamentary complex, which houses several buildings. The CISF functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
In June 2024, DMK MP MM Abdulla wrote a letter to the then Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, former Rajya Sabha Speaker, complaining about CISF personnel interrogating him for his visit to the Parliament complex. In his letter, Mr Abdulla said he was stopped and asked where “(he) was headed inside the compound”.
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In a phased takeover completed on 20 May 2024, the CISF assumed responsibility for all core security layers in Parliament – including access control, perimeter and internal security, counter-terrorism and counter-sabotage response, bomb threat management and fire and disaster preparedness.
CISF personnel at Parliament House. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
A contingent of more than 3,300 personnel, including more than 200 fire and disaster management specialists, has been deployed to implement airport security protocols such as advanced frisking, X-ray baggage checks and multi-level access authentication. About 300 employees are women.
“The CISF has introduced a revised posting policy specific to Parliament’s security duties. Under the new framework, the tenure of the staff has been extended from the existing three years to four years with a possible extension of one additional year based on suitability. To ensure operational continuity while ensuring optimum rotation for steady infusion of new blood, a fixed proportion of the sanctioned strength will be rotated every year,” a CISF official said.
The new policy includes stricter eligibility standards and multi-step vetting.
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“Personnel selected for parliamentary service must have an impeccable work record, be in the SHAPE-I medical category, have no disciplinary issues or vigilance concerns, complete at least two specialized courses and meet rank-specific age requirements,” the official said.
The CISF has introduced a mandatory multi-step screening process such as psychological assessment, combat physical efficiency test (BPET), induction training for parliament and comprehensive security clearance.
“Only those who clear all the stages will be deployed for Parliament duties. Staff deployed in Parliament regularly undergo on-site and off-site training during the intersessional period,” the official said.
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The training includes training tailored to the National Security Guard and counter-terrorism training with the Indian Army.
“To maintain a high level of preparedness, the CISF conducts regular simulated exercises based on scenarios that simulate biological terrorist incidents, terrorist attacks, drone threats, cyber attacks, bomb threats, evacuation operations and air contamination situations. Contingency fire elements are integrated into all exercises. Night firing exercises are also conducted to enhance accuracy and precision in official low-light conditions.”
Annual psychological tests and BPET will be conducted for all employees, while BPET for Rapid Response Team employees will continue monthly.
Published – 27 Nov 2025 20:06 IST
