Home department

Powai

Indian Institute of Technology

Central Industrial Security Force

Mumbai

Subhasis Chaudhuri

The Centre has recommended that(IIT) in Powai be provided with(CISF) cover. Currently, the institute is protected by around 100 security guards, some of whom are former servicemen.A letter to the effect was sent to the state government last week by the union government. Principal Secretary (Law and Order) Amitabh Gupta of the state Home Department toldMirror, “The Centre has demanded that IIT-B should be given CISF protection and we are processing it.” There was no clarity about why the security cover was being provided to the institute now.A senior officer of the home department said, “This is a premier institute. We will have a meeting with authorities at IITBombay soon. After a security audit, we will decide how many CISF personnel are required.” Regarding the expenditure, the officer said that the institute will have to foot the bill.The Mumbai police has a chowkie outside IIT and vehicles from Powai police also patrol the area. “We also have a good coordination with the IIT’s internal security team,” said a police officer from Powai.When asked about the issue, IIT-B directorsaid, “We have not received any message about the CISF cover. There is supposed to be a meeting for this issue, but we have been told that it is postponed.”Another senior CISF officer, who did not wish to be named, said that many of the IITs and IIMs have asked for CISF protection. C V Anand, Inspector General of CISF, in charge of West region, told Mirror, “So far no survey has happened, but we are prepared for any challenge”. CISF currently provides security cover to airports, seaports, power plants, sensitive government buildings and even heritage monuments.The IIT Powai campus is spread over 223 hectares. The main entrance is from Adi Shankaracharya Marg and it also shares boundaries with Vihar and Powai lakes. The property is fenced thoroughly.Some people in IIT, who Mirror spoke to, did not seem too pleased about the extra security cover. “Anyone can walk into prominent universities abroad. I do not know why a CISF cover is being discussed,” an officer of IIT-B said.