14 schools approach CISF for security audit

New Delhi: Fourteen schools have approached the CISF to get a professional security audit done of their premises and effectively secure students, a development that has come in the wake of killing of a boy in a Gurgaon school recently.

The paramilitary force, that works under the command of the Union home ministry, had sometime back written to schools across the country extending services of its special consultancy wing that provides security suggestions to organisations and agencies.

“Till date, 14 schools from all parts of the country have requested the CISF to provide consultancy service to strengthen their security apparatus for safety and protection of school children,” CISF spokesperson assistant inspector-general (AIG) Hemendra Singh said.

He said those who have shown interest in the offer made by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) include reputed schools from Kolkata, Mumbai and Dehradun.

“Expert teams of the consultancy wing will soon visit these schools and prepare a professional security blue print for them,” Mr Singh said.

The CISF security consultancy wing was raised in 1999 and till now it has provided its expert advise to over 150 organisations or institutions, including IITs, IIMs, RBI and the National Police Academy in Hyderabad among others.

The wing also posted its best result this year as it earned Rs 2.54 crore revenue as government fee for providing these services.

“There has been noticeable surge in revenue earned through consultancy fee in the last four years.

“Average annual revenue earning till 2013 since inception was Rs 20 lakh whereas in last four years the wing has earned revenue of Rs 7.06 crore. This makes the average annual revenue for the last four years to Rs 1.77 crore,” Mr Singh said.

During this calendar year, he said, the total revenue earning is Rs 2.54 crore which is the “highest ever in a single calendar year since inception of the consultancy services”.

The previous best earning through consultancy was of Rs 2.10 crore in 2015, he said. The paramilitary, mandated as the nodal security agency to guard critical installations in the country including airports, had dispatched letters last month to a number of schools stating it can help create a “safe and secure” environment for children which will come with a service fee.

The consultancy fee would be around Rs 4 lakh for a school, it had said.

The trigger for this all-India exercise by the force was the recent incident of killing of a Class 2 student of the Ryan International School in Gurgaon who was found dead in the school bathroom with his throat slit on September 8.

CISF director-general O.P. Singh had said the force took the initiative as part of its responsibility towards the society.

“We are the best suited government agency for doing such expert security consultancies and in preparing safe environments. We need to ensure safety to the school-going children,” he had said.