Notifying Merchant Shipping Bureau of Ports Security Rules 2026 under MS Act 2025
The Gazette of India
CG-DL-E-16102026-277195
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (i)
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 812] NEW DELHI, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2026/ASVINA 22, 1948
MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 14th October, 2026.
G.S.R. 883(E).– In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) and clauses (c) and (d) of sub-section (2) ofsection 319 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 (24 of 2025), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely: –
1. Short title and commencement. — (1) These rules may be called the Merchant Shipping (Bureau of Port Security) Rules, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. Application. — These rules shall apply to the functioning and operations of the Bureau of Port Security in relation to the security of the following, namely: –
(a) port facilities; and
(b) vessels in port facilities engaged in vessel-port interface.
3. Definitions. — (1) In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires—
(a) “Act” means the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 (24 of 2025);
(b) “Administration” means the Director-General of Maritime Administration appointed under section 7 of the Act;
(c) “Bureau” means the Bureau of Port Security, constituted under sub-section (1) of section 13 of the Act;
(d) “company” means as defined under sub-section (a) of section 115 of the Act;
(e) “maritime law enforcement agencies” means the Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, Customs, Coastal Police or any other agency as may be notified by the Central Government;
(f) “port facility security plan” means a plan to ensure the application of measures designed to protect the port facility and ships, persons, cargo, cargo transport units and stores of ship within the port facility from the risks of a security incident;
(g) “security incident” means any suspicious act or circumstance threatening the security of a ship, including a mobile offshore drilling unit and a high-speed craft, or of a port facility or of any ship and port interface, or any ship-to-ship activity;
(h) “training facility” means any institution approved by the Bureau for imparting port security training under these rules; and 10 (i)]
(i) “vessel-port interface” means the interactions that occur when a vessel is directly and immediately affected by actions involving the movement of persons, goods or the provisions of port services to or from the vessel.
(2) The words and expressions used in these rules but not defined in the Act shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Act or the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code under the Safety Convention.
4. Functions of Bureau. –– The Bureau shall be responsible for ensuring the implementation and enforcement of the provisions of these rules in relation to the security of port facilities and the vessel-port interface and for the said purpose, exercise such regulatory, supervisory and oversight functions as may be necessary in relation to the security of port facilities and vessel-port interface.
5. Regulatory framework for security of port facilities and vessels-port interface. — The Bureau shall establish, implement and maintain the regulatory framework for the security of port facilities and the vessel-port interface, which shall, inter alia, provide for—
(a) standards, guidelines and procedures relating to the security of port facilities and the vessel-port interface;
(b) a risk-based mechanism for the categorisation of port facilities, having regard to the threat to environment, operational characteristics and vessel movement patterns relevant to port facility security;
(c) procedures for the review, approval and monitoring of port facility security plans, and for coordination with the person authorised by the Central Government on matters relating to the portside aspects of the vessel-port interface;
(d) minimum requirements relating to security equipment, personnel and infrastructure necessary for the effective implementation of security measures for port facilities and the vessel-port interface;
(e) mechanism for engagement of the private security agencies engaged in providing security services for port facilities and vessel-port interface; and
(f) protocols for inspections, audits and operational monitoring of port facilities for the purpose of verifying compliance with the regulatory framework established under these rules.
6. Collection, maintenance and exchange of security information. —
(1) The Bureau shall establish and maintain mechanisms for the timely collection, collation, maintenance and exchange of security related information relating to port facilities and vessel-port interface.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of sub-rule (1), the Bureau shall—
(a) establish and maintain communication mechanisms with the Central Government, State Governments, the Administration, port authorities and maritime law enforcement agencies for the exchange of security-related information;
(b) collect, maintain and periodically review records, reports and assessments relating to threats, security incidents and vulnerabilities affecting the security of port facilities and the vessel-port interface;
(c) disseminate relevant security-related information to the appropriate authorities in a timely manner to facilitate the prevention of, or preparedness for, mitigation of and response to security threats;
(d) ensure that the collection, storage, processing, handling and dissemination of security-related information are carried out in accordance with the applicable laws relating to confidentiality, data protection and operational security; and
(e) coordinate with authorised intelligence and maritime security agencies for obtaining, sharing and updating information relating to security threats, risks and vulnerabilities. 7. Coordination withGovernment, authorities and other stakeholders. —
(1) The Bureau shall coordinate with the Central Government, State Governments, the Administration, Port authorities, maritime law enforcement agencies, port facility security officers, companies, and other stakeholders as may be necessary for the effective implementation of security measures relating to port facilities and the vessel-port interface.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of sub-rule (1), the Bureau shall—
(a) engage with State Maritime Boards, port authorities and other committees constituted for port facility security to promote the uniform implementation of the security standards, procedures and measures specified under these rules;
(b) coordinate with port facility security officers for the review, implementation and monitoring of port facility security plans and, where necessary, with company security officers in relation to security measures at port facilities and the vessel-port interface;
(c) serve as the nodal point for inter-agency coordination on matters relating to port facility security, including the exchange of security-related information, threat assessments and incident reports; (d) facilitate joint inspections, security assessments, audits, exercises and reviews relating to the security of port facilities and the vessel-port interface in coordination with the relevant authorities; and
(e) provide technical and advisory support to the relevant authorities and stakeholders for strengthening security preparedness, and compliance with these rules. 8. Formulation and issuance of security standards and guidelines. —
(1) The Bureau shall formulate, issue and periodically review and update security standards, guidelines and procedures relating to the security of port facilities and the vessel-port interface, consistent with the provisions of the Act and these rules.
(2) The standards, guidelines and procedures for the security of vessels and the vessel-port interface may include—
(a) standards and specifications relating to access control, surveillance, monitoring, screening, patrolling and such other security measures as may be necessary for the security of port facilities and the vessel-port interface;
(b) measures relating to the deployment and use of security technologies, cybersecurity, communication systems and emergency response arrangements;
(c) methodologies and procedures for security risk assessment, security drills and exercises, audits, inspections, reviews and performance evaluation;
(d) measures for strengthening coordination, preparedness and response to security threats and security incidents; and
(e) such other security measures as may be necessary for the protection of port facilities and the vessel-port interface, consistent with national security requirements and any directions issued by the Central Government.
(3) The Bureau shall notify, publish or otherwise communicate the security standards, guidelines and procedures issued under this rule to the relevant authorities and stakeholders, in such manner as it considers appropriate.
9. Security Training and Capacity Building. —
(1) Security training and capacity building. — (1) The Bureau shall formulate, implement and oversee training and capacity-building programmes for enhancing the skills and security awareness of personnel engaged in the security of port facilities and the vessel-port interface.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of sub-rule (1), the Bureau shall—
(a) establish or approve training facilities for imparting training relating to the security of port facilities and the vessel-port interface;
(b) organise and conduct training programmes, workshops, seminars, drills and exercises for port authorities, port facility security officers, company security officers, ship security officers and such other personnel as may be considered necessary;
(c) develop, review and periodically update training curricula, modules, and materials having regard to national security requirements, emerging threats, technological developments and international best practices;
(d) maintain records relating to training, certification and evaluation of personnel for ensuring competence and continuous improvement; (e) provide technical guidance and advisory support to port authorities, maritime law enforcement agencies and other relevant authorities for strengthening operational preparedness and security compliance; and
(f) monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of training and capacity-building programmes and take such measures as may be necessary for their continuous improvement.
(3) The Bureau may collaborate with national and international organisations, educational and training institutions, professional bodies and other relevant agencies for the development, delivery and continuous improvement of training standards that remain current, effective and responsive to evolving maritime security threats.
10. Preparation and maintenance of security manuals, standard operating procedures and protocols. —
(1) The Bureau shall prepare, maintain, and periodically update security manuals, standard operating procedures and operational protocols for the security of port facilities and the vessel-port interface, in accordance with these rules.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the Bureau shall—
(a) develop security manuals and standard operating procedures relating to access control, surveillance, screening, patrolling and emergency response for port facilities and the vessel-port interface;
(b) issue protocols for coordination, reporting and communication among port authorities, port facility security officers, maritime law enforcement agencies and other relevant stakeholders;
(c) establish procedures for the conduct of security audits, drills, exercises and incident reporting in respect of port facilities and the vessel-port interface to ensure the operational readiness and effectiveness of security measures; and
(d) maintain and periodically review records of all security manuals, standard operating procedures and operational protocols.
(3) The security manuals, standard operating procedures and operational protocols prepared under this rule shall—
(a) be consistent with the provisions of the Act, these rules and applicable international maritime conventions, and aligned with national maritime security objectives;
(b) be disseminated to the concerned authorities and other relevant stakeholders for implementation; and
(c) provide guidance on risk mitigation, incident management and the implementation of security measures for port facilities and the vessel-port interface.
(4) The Bureau may review and revise any security manual, standard operating procedure and operational protocol prepared under this rule at such intervals as it considers necessary or whenever required having regard to—
(a) emerging or evolving security threats; (b) technological developments; (c) changes in applicable laws, rules or international obligations; or (d) lessons learnt from security audits, drills, exercises or security incidents. 11. Audit, review and reporting. —
(1) The Bureau shall establish and maintain mechanisms for the audit and review of security measures implemented at port facilities and the vessel-port interface to monitor compliance with the Act and these rules. (2) Without prejudice to the foregoing, the Bureau shall—
(a) conduct periodic audits and inspections of port facilities to verify compliance with the security standards, standard operating procedures, security plans and directions issued by the Bureau. Explanation.— For the purposes of this clause, “periodic audits” means audits conducted at such intervals as may be specified by the Bureau by order or in the standard operating procedures approved by the Central Government; (b) review the security plans, operational procedures and incident reports relating to port facilities and the vessel-port interface submitted by the port authorities and port facility security officers;
(c) assess the effectiveness of the security measures implemented and identify deficiencies requiring corrective or preventive action; and (d) maintain records of all audits, reviews, findings, recommendations and corrective actions for the purposes of reporting, monitoring and follow-up.
(3) The Bureau shall establish procedures for the timely reporting of audit findings, assessments and recommendations to— (a) the Central government;
(b) the Administration; and
(c) the maritime law enforcement agencies, where necessary for the purposes of coordination relating to the security of port facilities and the vessel-port interface.
(4) The findings and recommendations arising from audits and reviews conducted under this rule shall be utilised to—
(a) update security risk assessments and strengthen security measures and operational procedures;
(b) identify training, capacity-building and preparedness requirements; and (c) support the issuance of directions under these rules for addressing identified security deficiencies or vulnerabilities. 12. Response measures for security levels. —
(1) The Bureau shall establish and maintain response mechanisms corresponding to security levelsset under sub-section
(3) of section 129 of the Act, in respect of port facilities and vessel-port interface. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of sub-rule
(1), the Bureau shall— (a) specify the security measures to be implemented at port facilities and the vessel-port interface for each security level set under sub-section
(3) of section 129 of the Act, having regard to threat assessments and operational requirements; (b) specify procedures for the escalation and de-escalation of security measures in response to intelligence inputs, security directives or security incidents;
(c) coordinate with the port authorities, port facility security officers, the Directorate General of Maritime Administration and the maritime law enforcement agencies for the effective implementation of the response measures;
(d) monitor the effectiveness of the response measures and issue such guidance or directions as may be necessary for their continual improvement; and
(e) provide guidance to the port authorities and port facility security officers on the implementation of additional security measures appropriate to each security level.
(3) The Bureau may conduct or require the conduct of security drills, exercises and simulations to assess the preparedness and response capabilities of port facilities and the vessel-port interface.
(4) The Bureau shall maintain records of—
(a) the security levels set under sub-section
(3) of section 129 of the Act; (b) the response measures implemented at port facilities and the vessel-port interface in respect of each such security level; and (c) the observations, findings and lessons learnt from security incidents, drills and exercises, and shall utilise such records for the purposes of risk assessment, security audits, operational planning and the issuance of security directives. 13. Administrative control and governing framework. —
(1) The Bureau shall function under the administrative control of the Central Government and shall comply with such directions as may be issued by it from time to time.
(2) In the discharge of its functions under the Act and these rules, the Bureau shall act in accordance with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code and such other applicable international maritime conventions as are implemented under the Act or the rules made thereunder.
14. Directions for resolving inconsistencies between safety and security requirements. —
(1) The Central Government may issue such directions as it considers necessary for resolving, or preventing, any inconsistencies between safety and security requirements applicable to maritime operations.
(2) The Bureau shall comply with the directions issued by the Central Government under sub-rule (1).
[F. No. SY-19014/185/2025-MG-Part(2)(i)]
VENKATESAPATHY S, Jt. Secy.
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