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 Security (Civil Aviation). Director General of security (DG BCAS) is the appropriate authority for implementation of Annexure 17(Security: Safeguarding International Civil Aviation Against Acts of Unlawful Interference) to Chicago convention of International Civil Aviation Organization. Director General of security (CA) is responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the National Civil Aviation Security Programme.[1]
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 security of civil flights at International and domestic airports in India.[2]
Office
BCAS headquarter is located at "A" Wing, I-III floor, Janpath Bhavan, Janpath, New Delhi. The agency has eight regional offices, located at international airports i.e. Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai.[3]