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Programme on anvil for security, development of coastal villages
The Centre is set to launch a programme for India’s coastal villages, modelled on the ongoing Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) for border villages, officials aware of the matter said.
The Centre is set to launch a programme for India’s coastal villages, modelled on the ongoing Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) for border villages, officials aware of the matter said, adding that coastal security is one of the major projects being undertaken by the government. Youths from these coastal villages are also being trained in coastal security to help them find employment near their homes, even as work is underway to strengthen ports across the country.
During the recently concluded annual meeting of police chiefs in Raipur on December 19, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the importance of coastal security, emphasised the need to further strengthen it, and directed all concerned agencies to work in coordination towards this objective. Following this, the Union home ministry approved the establishment of a new federal agency—the Bureau of Ports Security (BoPS)—to focus on strengthening port security across the country.
Similar to the VVP, under which the government and its various agencies are working to develop border villages, ensure local employment opportunities, reduce migration, and enable residents to continue serving as the eyes and ears of security forces, different agencies will soon adopt coastal villages as well.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has already adopted 52 villages and tied up with corporates under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, officials said.
“The residents of coastal villages are also being trained. CISF has adopted 52 villages. On the northern border, we have the vibrant villages programme. The Government is planning to come up with a programme called Coastal Vibrant Villages. Under the CSR initiative of some PSUs with whom we work, we will ensure that we hold activities in such a way that our forces are in touch with them throughout the year. If we do this for years, there will be a different bonding with residents of coastal areas, and the information gaps can also be addressed in the following years,” said CISF director general Praveer Ranjan.
In recent years, agencies have unearthed some of the biggest drug smuggling cases from ports across the country. India has over 250 ports, of which 72 are EXIM ports that handle 95% of the country’s trade.
The CISF director general also said that with the government working on strengthening port security, the mandate for training security agencies in non-core port duties has been given to CISF. “The government has already made it mandatory only to have trained security agencies for even non-core duties at the ports. We are engaging the youths of the same coastal villages in the training. It is the youths from these villages who will be working at the ports after being trained in port security. Four batches have already been rolled out in ports like Chennai, Cochin, Mangalore,” Ranjan added.
As part of strengthening coastal security and sensitising residents along the coast, the force is set to launch the second edition of the Vande Mataram Coastal Cyclone - 2026 on January 28, 2026. In this event, its personnel will cycle almost 6,533 km across coastal villages for 25 days. Some 130 trained CISF personnel, including 65 women, are participating in the cyclothon.
“The cyclothon aims to sensitise local communities against the threat of drugs, weapons, explosives, and the need to strengthen vigilance. It will strengthen the partnership between coastal communities and security agencies. The reception we got last year was good. Along the way, we will enlist the residents as volunteers and sensitise them to be vigilant. One of the matto is Tatt Prahari. Tatt Prahari is every citizen of India who lives along the coast. It is not an organised force, but any citizen is a Tatt Prahari. Last year we had enlisted a lot of Tatt Prahari, this encouraged us to bring out the second edition,” Ranjan added.
