Bureau of Civil Aviation Security

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (India). It is the regulatory authority for civil aviation security in India. It is headed by an officer of the rank of Director General of Police and is designated as Director-General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. The Director-General, BCAS is the appropriate authority for the implementation of Annexure 17(Security: Safeguarding International Civil Aviation Against Acts of Unlawful Interference) to the Chicago convention of International Civil Aviation Organization. The Director-General, BCAS is responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the National Civil Aviation Security Programme. Director-General - Ms M. A. Ganapathy, IPS, is the present Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security with effect from 08.10.2020.

History

The BCAS was initially set up as a Cell in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) in January 1978 on the recommendation of the Pande Committee constituted in the wake of the hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight on 10 September 1976. The role of the Cell was to coordinate, inspect, monitor and train personnel in Civil Aviation Security matters. The BCAS was reorganized into an independent department in April 1987 under the Ministry of Civil Aviation as a sequel to the Kanishka Tragedy in June 1985. The main responsibility of BCAS is to lay down standards and measures in respect of the security of civil flights at International and domestic airports in India. The office of BCAS headquarter is located at "A" Wing, I-III floor, Janpath Bhawan, Janpath, New Delhi. The agency has twenty regional offices, located at various airports i.e. Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Dehradun, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Srinagar and Thiruvananthapuram.

Functions

Laying down Aviation Security Standards in accordance with Annex 17 to Chicago Convention of ICAO for airport operators, airlines operators, and their security agencies responsible for implementing AVSEC measures. Monitoring the implementation of security rules and regulations and carrying out a survey of security needs. Ensure that the persons implementing security controls are appropriately trained and possess all competencies required to perform their duties. Planning and coordination of Aviation security matters. Conducting - Surprise/Dummy checks to test professional efficiency and alertness of security staff. Mock exercise to test the efficacy of Contingency Plans and operational preparedness of the various agencies.

Organisation and organisation Chart of BCAS

BCAS is the regulatory authority for civil aviation security in India. It is headed by an officer of the rank of Director General of Police and is designated as Director-General, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. Director-General, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security is the appropriate authority for the implementation of Annexure-17 to the Chicago convention of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Director-General, Bureau of Civil Aviation is responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the National Civil Aviation Security Programme(NCASP). BCAS Hqrs is located at "A" Wing, I-III floor, Janpath Bhavan, Janpath, New Delhi-110001. It has got 20 Regional Offices located all over India. The Regional Office is headed by an officer of the rank of Regional Director.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) - Organisation Chart of BCAS

Vision and Mission

VISION

Lay down standards and measures in respect of security of civil flights at International and domestic airports in India while remaining sensitive to the globally evolving aviation security scenario.

MISSION

Enforce all Standards & Recommended Practices of ICAO for International as well as domestic operations. Coordinate monitor inspects and train personnel in Civil Aviation Security matters thereby maximizing the effectiveness of aviation security and minimizing acts of unlawful interference with civil aviation operations. Implementation of AVSEC Quality control programme and up gradation of technology for securing civil aviation operations.