Israeli Police Wear Made in India Uniforms, Thanks to Kerala Dressmakers
Thiruvananthapuram: Why are officers of the Israeli police force travelling all the way to a non descript town in north Kerala in frequent intervals?
Because, their elegant light-blue, long sleeve uniform shirts are being stitched at an apparel unit in Kannur, which has the glorious tradition of handloom making and textile export.
Hundreds of tailors at the Maryan Apparel Pvt Limited, operating at the industrial park at Valiyavelicham in the district, are toiling hard to get the spic and span uniforms ready for the Israel police.
They not only stitch the double-pocket shirts but also design and attach the trademark emblems on its sleeves.
The local dressmakers have been supplying nearly one lakh shirts annually to the Israeli police for the last three years.
Owned by Thodupuzha-based businessman Thomas Olickal, the company also bagged the orders for supplying uniforms for Kuwait's fire service and national guard.
If everything goes as planned, the Maryan Apparel would soon start stitching uniforms for the Philippine Army, a top company official said.
"We are supplying uniform shirts to the Israeli police- both men and women officers- for the last three years," Sijin Kumar, accounts and administration manger of the company said.
"Earlier, we used to supply trousers also. But, the order for it was bagged by a Chinese firm recently.
We hope that we will get the contract back at the earliest and discussions are going on in this regard," he said.
Launched at the state-run Kinfra Park here in 2006, the company specialises in uniforms of army men, police personnel, security officers and health service workers of various countries across the globe.
It also supplies school uniforms, dress for super market staff, doctors' coats, coveralls, corporate wears and so on.
In 2008, the apparel unit was shifted to Kannur with an objective to provide employment to local people who had become jobless due to the decline of the traditional beedi sector there.
Kumar said the Israeli officials are very particular about the quality of the material and even the minute details of the stitching and embroidery.
"They visit the stitching unit at frequent intervals to monitor the process.
Recently, they entrusted the task of monitoring with a company in Tamil Nadu and their team come here once in a month to check the quality of the work," Factory Manager, Shaneesh T V said.
The number of uniforms stitched at the unit would depend on their requirements.
Generally, it would be between 50,000-1,00,000 annually, he said.
The material for the uniform of Israel police is imported from US.
The cloth, produced at the company's own mill in Mumbai, would also be used at times.
The apparel unit that employs 850 people, majority of them women, are planning to expand its operations in the coming years.
But, the lack of sufficient trained and skilled manpower is a major cause of concern for the company authorities.
Courtesy: www.news18.com
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Govt to set up Bureau of Port Security to boost port, vessel security
New Delhi (PTI): To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said.
Emphasising that there is a need to establish a country-wide robust port security framework, Shah directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.
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The meeting also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain, the statement said.
The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), it said.
Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.
"During the transition period of one year, the director general of shipping shall function as the director general of BoPS," the statement said.
"The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats," it said.
The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.
The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.
"These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only the licensed PSAs operate in this sector," the statement said.
