Civil Aviation Security gets new chief
- Nasir Kamal, a 1986 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
- BCAS is a wing of the Civil Aviation Ministry looking after civil aviation security.
- His appointment was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister.
Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)
- It was initially set up as a Cell in the DGCA in January 1978 on the recommendation of the Pande Committee.
- BCAS was reorganized into an independent department under the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 1st April, 1987.
- The main responsibilities of BCAS include laying down standards and measures with respect to security of civil flights at international and domestic airports in India.
- BCAS Head quarter is located at New Delhi.
- It has got four Regional Offices located at International airports i.e. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
Its functions include:
- Laying down Aviation Security Standards in accordance with 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 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.
- Surprise/Dummy checks to test professional efficiency and alertness of security staff.
- Mock exercise to test efficacy of Contingency Plans and operational preparedness of the various agencies.
Convention on International Civil Aviation
- Also known as Chicago convention
- The Convention was signed by 52 states on 7 December 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., and came into effect on 4 April 1947.
- It established the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations charged with coordinating and regulating international air travel.
- The Convention establishes rules of airspace, aircraft registration and safety, and details the rights of the signatories in relation to air travel