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Data Security Council of India in collaboration with Ashoka University recently launched CIPHER – Coalition of India for a Progressive and Holistic Encryption Regime. CIPHER is a coalition of like-minded institutions and individuals committed to preserving privacy and promoting digital trust by leveraging cutting edge cryptographic technologies. CIPHER would strive towards building a nuanced understanding of encryption among policymakers; assist policymakers in building optimal crypto based solutions for improving governance in India and promote development of encryption-based technologies; nurturing India’s start-up ecosystem in this domain. The launch witnessed wide representation from industry, academia, and civil society organisations. Eminent speakers such as Keri Pearlson, Executive Director, Cybersecurity, MIT Sloan; Peeyush Bajpai, Director, Big Data Solutions, The Nielsen Company; Yashovardhan Azad, Retired IPS Officer, Intelligence Bureau joined the discussions, among others. In the coming days, CIPHER will witness increased collaboration from interested individuals and institutions, enable cutting edge work in crypto technologies, hold discussions, symposiums, and advance the theme of privacy and encryption. Those willing to join the alliance can express their interest at the CIPHER website: https://cipher. ashoka.edu.in/en/ Rama Vedashree, CEO, DSCI, said, “Given the importance of encryption in the digital ecosystem and its cross-cutting impact on the overall policy discourse, it is imperative to hold constructive discussions and bring together a wide variety of stakeholders. CIPHER provides a platform to carry out these difficult yet important conversations, and will strive to create awareness about trust, privacy, and cryptography. We welcome everyone who is interested to join the alliance for a meaningful and solution-oriented approach towards encryption.” Debayan Gupta, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Computer Science, Ashoka University, said, “For too long, cryptographers, policy makers, civil rights activists, and law enforcement have been having parallel conversations around encryption, privacy, and data security without a coherent exchange of ideas. Given the multidimensional nature of these issues, it is critical that we have a common platform to systematically discuss and resolve problems. It is with this hope that we are building CIPHER.” Data Security Council of India (DSCI) is a not-for-profit, industry body on data protection in India, setup by NASSCOM®, committed towards making the cyberspace safe, secure and trusted by establishing best practices, standards and initiatives in cyber security and privacy. DSCI works together with the Government and their agencies, law enforcement agencies, industry sectors including IT-BPM, BFSI, CII, Telecom, industry associations, data protection authorities and think tanks for public advocacy, thought leadership, capacity building and outreach initiatives. For more information, visit: www.dsci.in Ashoka University is a pioneer in its focus on providing a liberal education at par with the best in the world. An Ashoka education carries a strong emphasis on foundational knowledge, thorough academic research based on rigorous pedagogy, and hands-on experience with real-world challenges. The 2000-plus student community, drawn from over 28 states and 100 cities in India as well as 17 other countries, receive a world-class interdisciplinary education through undergraduate and post-graduate programmes led by internationally renowned faculty.  

With an objective to expand the footprint of ASIS International in North India, under the aegis of ARVP North, Region 13A, the Chapter Executive Committee of ASIS New Delhi Chapter # 207 organized ASIS International security meet on 27 February 2021 (Saturday) at Taj, Chandigarh. Security and risk professionals from Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Hissar, Panipat, Baddi, Paonta Sahib, Bhatinda, Jaipur, Rohtak, Sonipat, Karnal, Pune, Zirakpur, Mansa were contacted through community contacts and after registrations were duly invited. Since this was a physical security meet, the registration was restricted to 60 professionals only. The theme of the security meeting was ‘Together We Grow.’ To give thrust and momentum to the theme, the various esteemed committee members of ASIS New Delhi Chapter travelled from Delhi NCR to Chandigarh including Sanjay Kaushik, ARVP, North Region 13A; Gurbir Singh Wasu, Member Certification Committee; Mrs. Aman Singh, Women in Security Committee, Roop Singh Kuntal, Member Certification Committee; J Deepak Kumar Rao, Chapter Law Enforcement Liaison; Balwant Atwal, Former Chapter Chair; Santosh Pathak, Editor, SecurityLinkIndia; Manish Datta, Chapter Chair; Diwakar Nath Pandey, Chapter Vice Chair; Harvindra Singh, Chapter Secretary; Ravi Pratap Chauhan, Chapter Treasurer. The meet started at 4:45pm with registration and high tea. Diwakar Nath Pandey, Chapter Vice Chair welcomed all the participants and spelt out the agenda. Manish Datta, Chapter Chair provided a glimpse on the benefits and introduction on ASIS International. Sanjay Kaushik, ARVP North, Region 13A provided some interesting insights on ‘Evolving role of risk managers in the current environment’ in his address. Harvindra Singh, Chapter Secretary spelt out the benefits of ASIS International Membership. Roop Singh Kuntal covered the benefits of ASIS Certification and Boot Camps. Simagarh Mann of SIS Group Enterprises covered ‘The new dynamics of security operations’ in his address. Two professionals who had signed up for ASIS International membership during the meet – Sohan Pal Yadav and Parminder Chandras – were also introduced. They covered briefly how excited they were about joining ASIS International and what made them sign up. Ravi Pratap Chauhan, Chapter Treasurer concluded the security meet with a vote of thanks and felicitation of the speakers including Ram Panwar and Sohan Pal Yadav who worked tirelessly in making the security meet a great success. Simagarh Mann and other dignitaries of SIS Group Enterprises were felicitated for sponsoring the security meet. The efforts are bearing fruit as the chapter executive committee of ASIS New Delhi Chapter # 207 is signing up new members in Chandigarh and nearby cities, a testimony to establishing a new chapter in the coming months.  

Prama Hikvision has been leading the Indian security industry in video security for years. The company has recently introduced its all new ColorVu cameras powered by the new Hikvision ColorVu technology. ColorVu technology enables cameras to produce colorful videos, even in extremely dimly lit environments. When using a conventional camera with infrared lighting for night monitoring, people, vehicles, or other important objects are blurry and blend into the background, making it difficult to identify details. Color-related information is crucial for many scenarios and is a great asset for data and analyses. However, conventional cameras often lose important details when rendering only black and white images. ColorVu technology is our solution to this common challenge faced by many security system users. Hikvision ColorVu technology Hikvision ColorVu cameras’ powerful ability to capture details in low lighting comes from two specific breakthroughs in hardware technologies – advanced lenses and high-performance sensors. Coupled with a supplemental light for extremely dark scenarios, ColorVu cameras guarantee video with colorful details when needed. The key benefits of full-color video True color information Accurate color rendering. Excellent performance in low-light environments. More details. Clearly captured color information and richer details compared to black and white imaging. Better visual experience Balanced brightness. F1.0 super aperture and advanced sensor guarantee realistic rendering. Application scenarios Residential: Residential buildings, whether town houses, multi-family homes, or apartments, often have several low-light areas that become potentially risky and difficult to navigate in darkness such as walkways, stairwells and other outdoor areas. ColorVu cameras provide unmatched surveillance where incidents or accidents occur, and illuminates areas to reduce risk and improve safety for tenants and visitors. Better quality imaging improves suspect identification when needed, providing a safer environment for residents. Small businesses: Users can monitor entrances and exits as well as dimly-lit interior and exterior areas where theft or other crimes occur such as dark hallways and walkways, dumpster areas, and loading docks. Enjoy better illumination with ColorVu cameras while they protect the employees, customers and assets, helping them to feel safe around and within the property. Parking lots: Parking lots are difficult to protect for many reasons. But ColorVu uses sophisticated supplemental lighting to make parking areas easier to secure. This means there is no need for additional lighting to capture high-quality, full color images. ColorVu’s environment-friendly natural light will not interfere with a driver’s vision, as opposed to harsh, bright, or discolored lights. All these features reduce costs and ensure high-resolution, detailed imagery – such as the color of a person’s clothing or the color of a car – and everything is recorded for forensic review when necessary. Parks and recreation areas: Strategically placed ColorVu cameras illuminate areas with limited lighting that pose risks for accidents or other incidents such as walkways, play areas, entrances to the restrooms, and exercise areas. Better evening and night time illumination keeps members of the community feeling safe and comfortable. Enriched ColorVu options with 4K and varifocal cameras The latest ColorVu cameras offer enriched options to the market with having covered both Turbo HD (DF8T series/ DF3T series/ DF0T series) and network products. The enriched ColorVu series can satisfy a multitude of customer needs, from high performance products to budget friendly choices and smart solutions.   Hikvision has now included 4K ColorVu cameras in its product range, which brings color imaging to ultra-high-definition levels day and night. With better image quality and richer detail, 4K ColorVu cameras can be applied across an even wider range of scenarios including stadiums, airports, harbors, and parking lots, where clear and high-resolution images are necessary. In addition, Hikvision has also added varifocal cameras (the DF8T-Z series) to the new ColorVu models to create 24/7 color imaging in all focal lengths. With 2.8-12mm motorized lenses, ColorVu varifocal cameras will allow users to zoom in on colorful images at night. Enhanced colorful imaging with AA manufacturing technology The latest ColorVu camera lenses have kept the F1.0 super-aperture design, allowing four times more light to enter the lens than conventional cameras (that have F2.0). Focusing high definition cameras with large F1.0 apertures is extremely technical for the industry, requiring very strict and accurate manufacturing. Hikvision has applied its advanced Active Alignment (AA) technology in the production of ColorVu cameras to bring the adjustment accuracy to within 4 pixels, even smaller than 1/30 hair diameter. Meanwhile, with optimized sensors, night time color imaging of ColorVu camera renders much brighter than conventional cameras. A new 3D dynamic noise reduction (DNR) algorithm helps the cameras record additional remote details clearly and deliver sharper images. In addition, ColorVu cameras are equipped with a soft and warm supplemental light that illuminates to guarantee color imaging even in zero-light environments. Quick target search with AcuSense technology Most security camera users only need to focus on alarms triggered by human and vehicles, especially at night. These newly released ColorVu cameras can integrate Hikvision’s cutting-edge AcuSense technology to help users focus only on events that matter to security. Empowered by deep learning algorithms, ColorVu cameras can distinguish people and vehicles from other moving objects such as rain, leaves and animals. Alarms will only be triggered when the pre-set intrusion type takes place. With this solution, video clips are sorted by human and vehicle categories, and object classification vastly improves search efficiency.        

Anil Puri CMD, APS group A thought leader and an action catalyzer rolled into one – Anil Puri is a rare combination of a visionary, and one who has mastered the art of strategic and tactical thinking to the core. He has been using this combination to seed new ideas and to lead them to their implementation on-ground. This has been a consistent feature of his career. He has rich experience of approximately 35 years in corporate in diverse domains & from functional managerial level to apex as chairman of a corporate group. His acumen for handling crisis management has prompted him to share his exclusive and niche experiences will be discussing the topic of Disaster Management which has been one of his favorite subjects. The tragedy of glacial outburst on 07 Feb 2021 in Chamoli Distt of Uttarakhand took him back to basics – the ‘National Disaster Management Authority Guidelines’ issued in Oct 2020; a solitary document on how to handle Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). Deep dive into the document led to many insights into the key issues which he felt to share with the fraternity to usher in better understanding of the handling of GLOFs. He had extensively toured the entire area of Chamoli to just short of Govind Ghat, and returned only on 26th Jan 2021, just a few days before the disaster.   The sudden flood on 07 Feb 2021 (Sunday morning) in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. At least 76 persons have been killed and over 150 are still missing after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers – all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga – triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Two power projects – NTPC’s Tapovan Vishnugad Hydel Project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project – were extensively damaged with scores of laborers trapped in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. The glacial outburst has raised many eyebrows and fingers about early warning, preparedness and rescue operations and overall handling of such disasters. This sent alarm bells ringing which set in motion my inclination to study the NDMA Guidelines on the subject. Mountain regions are characterized by sensitive ecosystems, enhanced occurrences of extreme weather events and natural hazards. They also symbolize the conflicting interests between economic development and environmental conservation. With rapid global warming, fragile-mountain cryosphere and landscapes are evolving and new threats of landslides, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), avalanches, cloud burst, drought and flash floods are posing grave risks to the vulnerable mountain communities. The Indian Himalayan region (IHR) is facing critical challenges while coping with the adverse effects of climate change. The disappearance of mountain glaciers, expansion of large glacial lakes and the formation of new glacial lakes are amongst the most recognizable impacts of global warming in this environment. IHR lies in Seismic Zones IV and V making the region highly prone to earthquakes. Flash floods and GLOFs have killed thousands in many parts of the world. Some of the largest events have occurred in the Indian Himalayas such as the Kedarnath disaster in Uttarakhand (2013) and Parechu river flash floods in Himachal Pradesh (2005). Despite these losses, disaster risk management related to GLOFs has not been mainstreamed into development policies and programs. Objectives of the NDMA Guidelines The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has partnered with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) along with national experts from concerned Indian institutions for the development of the National Guidelines on Management of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). The main objective of the NDMA Guidelines is to generate awareness of various aspects of dam failure hazards in India and to implement suitable actions to reduce both the risk and costs associated with these hazards. The Guidelines envision to improve administrative response, bringing together the relevant scientific capabilities of the nation to eliminate the losses from glacial and landslide hazards. The primary aim of these guidelines is to develop a strategy that encourages the use of scientific information, maps, methodology, guidance for early warning system, response management, development and implementation of initiatives to reduce losses from glacial hazards. These Guidelines also describe the awareness, preparedness, capacity development, research and development, regulations and enforcements and roles and responsibilities of the local, state and national ministries/ departments along with the various scientific organizations and institutions to reduce the potential risks. These guidelines aim to enable concerned ministries or departments of state/ UT, central governments and other stakeholders to take concerted action for preparedness, prevention, mitigation, and response to GLOFs. These guidelines also emphasize awareness and capacity building of the relevant stakeholders. The possibility of GLOF and LLOF in the Indian Himalayan region (IHR) are escalating very rapidly and pose a threat to the lives of millions of people living in this region. NDMA Guidelines lays down the roadmap to mitigate the impacts of glacial hazards and risks, to develop disaster resilient communities and significantly reduce the loss of lives and assets. These guidelines meant to assist the central ministries, departments and states to formulate their respective DM plans and extend necessary cooperation/ assistance to NDMA for carrying out its mandate. What is GLOFs The melting of the glaciers leads to the accumulation of water in the glacial lakes behind the natural dams made of pebbles, sands, ice and ice residue. These dams are called glacial or moraine dams. When such dammed water suddenly gets released, it results in floods known as GLOFs. The moraine dam is a weak structure and this can give way to an abrupt failure of the dam atop the glacial lake. The glacial lake holds a large amount of water, and a dam failure can possibly release millions of cubic…

With its 16th annual MIPS, 100 % virtual and free of charge, Milestone Systems invites partners, customers and media to explore the future of video technology under the theme of ‘Shaping the New Next.’ With more than 2,000 registered attendees from across the globe, MIPS (Milestone Integration Platform Symposium) is where the Milestone Systems community comes together to share insights, experiences, best practices and the latest innovations. Due to the ongoing global pandemic, this will be the first virtual MIPS conference, and the first where attendance is free. We will investigate how video technology is transforming business and society, and why video management systems are at the core of this change. During the two-day event, Milestone Systems will share inspiration from global innovation experts and Milestone Systems executives, and present success stories and industry insights from partners. Milestone Systems’ newly appointed CEO Thomas Jensen will talk about how video technology has moved beyond security and how we will be working with partners to embrace this shift. The CTO Bjørn Skou Eilertsen and CSMO Kenneth Hune Petersen will discuss macro-technology trends, accelerated technology adoption in key industries, and why Milestone Systems believes that video technology is the electricity of the 21st century. The event also offers a deep dive into the impact of video technology on city management, how video technology is improving every facet of transportation, and how computer vision and analytics are creating new opportunities in the retail industry for automation, personalization and even combatting Covid-19. Moreover, Milestone Systems will share insights into the latest deployment possibilities of our video management software, give an exclusive intro to Milestone Systems’ future direction, and present a new product launch. “Not only does MIPS bring together Milestone Systems’ global partner community to discuss our vision of where we are going and how we can contribute to each other’s success. This year, we are looking into how our technology is transforming how we work and live and how we can empower people to make the most of video technology – in security and beyond,” says CEO Thomas Jensen, Milestone Systems. MIPS will be held on March 1-2 for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and March 2-3 for both the Asia-Pacific and Americas events.  

The Union Budget 2021-22 has been the most awaited, and most anticipated event in the country. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Finance Minister of India presented the Budget in parliament on 1 February 2021 amidst various expectations and speculations. The COVID 19 all through 2020 has brought a regime of doubts, uncertainty and speculations, and in the time people of India has been looking at the budget with great expectations. The Budget was pronounced and brought mixed reactions from the people. We spoke to the industry and some of the industry experts have passed their following points of view – some excerpts: The Union Budget FY 2021-22 is a transformative budget with positive resolve for India to grow further with a vision of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan that compliments the ‘Make-in-India’ initiative of the Government. Atmanirbhar Bharat is an expression of 130 crore Indians, who have full confidence in their capabilities and skills. The union budget has identified the six pillars of Atmanirbhar Bharat’s vision. On behalf of Prama Hikvision, we welcome the progressive and visionary budget and look forward to economic growth and stability. The budget has sincere intent to provide momentum to strengthen local manufacturing capabilities. The production linked incentive scheme (PLI) is a welcome move by the government. The review of the customs duty structure is clearly seen as a move towards promoting the domestic manufacturing. We hope that the review of the custom duty structure will be done after extensive consultation with the key stakeholders. As India is set out to become the third-largest security industry in the world, we are striving to accelerate and build on this momentum of local manufacturing. The Indian security industry has seen the self-reliance push in the union budget 2021. We are hopeful that the proposed customs duty hikes on key electronic components will further give boost to the ‘Make-in-India’ 2.0. Smart cities mission is an important driver of growth in the security industry, which has got a big boost in the union budget 2021-22 with allocation of Rs.6450 crore. The move to strengthen the overall research ecosystem to boost innovation and R&D in the country, an outlay of Rs.50,000 crore has been announced for National Research Foundation. It is a big step for accelerating innovation and R&D in India. The budget clearly shows government’s mega thrust on developing infrastructure, road transport, waterways, airports, railway, metro rail, ‘MetroLite’ and ‘MetroNeo.’ It is commendable for its inclusive growth agenda, overall a gradual step toward Atmanirbhar Bharat. Union budget 2021 presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Minister of India on 01 February 2021 was a turning point and a landmark budget which is appreciated by all sections of industry acknowledging the bold initiatives, intent and paradigm shift in strategic planning to propel the growth of Indian economy on the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’,‘Self Reliant India’ and ‘Digital India.’ Muted criticism in a democracy like India proves the degree of acceptance. To me, it gave a feeling of ‘1991 moment’ when India took unprecedented acceleration in reforms. The major structural shift in policy reflects Central Govt’s resoluteness and strong conviction to achieve strategic independence by reduction in imports; unlike in past most of the Govt’s drafted the budget with an eye on the vote bank. Likely impact on the Private Security Industry (PSI) The private security industry does not fall into the bracket of manufacturing segment; it is grossly a service industry. This union budget is likely to have a significant impact on the private security industry in the following ways: Huge investment in infrastructure development like highways, metro rail, air ports, SEZ and sea ports etc., is going to increase business opportunity for providing security and allied services like toll tax management. Disallowing delayed deposit of PF as expenses will compel us to ensure its timely deposit. Reduced time limit for reopening of tax assessments to 3 years and establishment of faceless Income Tax Tribunals would reduce harassment. Announcement of voluntary scrapping policy to phase out polluting vehicles is likely to impact all PSIs but more so those providing CIT services. Impact of increase in custom duty on electronic items on PSI PSAs use a large number of electronic items like mobile phones, surveillance equipment, PCs, servers and related equipment. The increase in import duty on these therefore is likely to increase the cost to the private security agencies. These cost increment would be mostly applicable to the procurement of new equipment. Existing electronic equipment already being held will have the impact only in their repairs or upgrading. Rationale of Govt’s imposition of additional custom duty The government proposed to impose import duty on components of mobile phones and chargers as a part of review of 400 exemptions in customs duty including those applicable on the mobile devices segment. Govt cited following rationale for its action: To enhance local value addition. To align the thrust on easy access to raw materials and exports of value addition. To ensure twin objectives of promoting domestic manufacturing and helping India get on to global value chain and exports. Conclusion The Central Govt’s move to make India a manufacturing hub by boosting domestic manufacturing and to transform it as part of global supply chain as an intent and strategy not only sounds good but appears to be viable. Domestic manufacturing is getting a leg up in allocation of funds and recent procurement orders for instance are TEJAS from HAL with LCH in pipeline and latest version of ARJUN from DRDO, ATAG gun from Bharat Forge, drones from a startup and ship building. Domestic manufacturers of mobile phones like DIXON Technology and household electrical appliances by Amber Enterprises are likely to scale up manufacturing and reduce share of imports. Even during COVID 19 pandemic Indian domestic manufacturers played vital and major role in manufacturing of PPEs, medical devices, ventilators and ICU beds to reduce dependence on imports. In my view, the rhetoric of ICEA which is umbrella body for the mobile manufacturers should be taken with a…

Achieving excellence requires an eye for detail, a vision for success and the focus to see it through. It’s a rare combination that Hikvision has created with Hikvision #SeeClear: a set of core technologies that ensure our cameras record the finest details, while always capturing the bigger picture. Hikvision is dedicated to achieving excellence, which is one of our core values, and that’s why we’ve created #SeeClear: a set of technologies designed to give you a precise, uninterrupted view of every situation. Equipped with this comprehensive outlook, you are empowered to make rapid decisions for an optimal outcome every time. Here are 5 examples of how Hikvision core technologies can help you achieve excellence: Hikvision Super Resolution: Always get a precise and clear view To optimize your business operations, you need to see and understand everything. Hikvision Super Resolution allows you to capture both the wider view and the smaller details – all in super-high resolution – so you can maximize your visibility, and focus on achieving your goals. Hikvision Smart Rapid Focus: zoom in on what’s most important Success depends on your ability to focus. With Hikvision’s Smart Rapid Focus, you can zoom in from a bird’s eye view to a close-up image without losing clarity, even for a split second. In this way, you can monitor large areas with just a few cameras, capture critical events in vivid definition, and react quickly to every situation your business faces. Hikvision Image Stabilization: smooth video in unstable locations In locations where movement and vibrations are a constant feature, recording clear video footage is a major challenge. With Hikvision’s Image Stabilization technology, you get smooth, balanced imaging across your camera estate, making shakiness and poor video quality a thing of the past. Hikvision Defog: crystal clear video in adverse conditions Weather can make conditions in outdoor environments extremely changeable and unpredictable – and that can make it tough for video cameras to perform well. In particular, heavy rain, snow, and fog can limit visibility, rendering traditional cameras ineffective. Hikvision’s innovative, defog technology can enhance the color and detail of the field of view, so you never have to battle against poor visibility. Hikvision DarkFighter: clear video in ultra-low light Dark or low illumination conditions can be challenging to your business, whether you are protecting your premises, or actually working in low light. Hikvision’s Darkfighter technology provides high quality video imaging in very low light conditions, ensuring you can monitor and continually optimize your activities 24×7.  

A thought leader and an action catalyzer rolled into one – Anil Puri is a rare combination of a visionary, and one who has mastered the art of strategic and tactical thinking to the core. He has been using this combination to seed new ideas and to lead them to their implementation on-ground. This has been a consistent feature of his career. He has rich experience of approximately 35 years in corporate in diverse domains & from functional managerial level to apex as the chairman of a corporate group. His acumen for handling crisis management has prompted him to share his exclusive and niche experiences. He is discussing the topic in three distinct parts in separate articles; Part 1 – Hostage situation & Role of the Corporate Security; Part 2 – Negotiation Skills; and finally Part 3 – How to survive an abduction or hostage situation. He will take you through realistically at ground zero in visualization and response matrix through series of these three articles. His third article in the series dwells on the survival techniques in an abduction or hostage situation. This will be the closing article in the series.   It’s really scary to think about being abducted or taken hostage, but knowing how you should handle the situation can help you feel calm and focused if it does happen. While the best thing you can do is to avoid an attack in the first place, if someone attempts to kidnap you, try to get away before they can incapacitate you. If you are taken into captivity, comply with your kidnappers and observe your surroundings until you can escape or be rescued. Fighting off an Attack Run away from someone who tries to take you if you can. If you’re ever in a situation where someone tries to abduct you, do anything you can to avoid going with them. Try to pull away from them, then run as fast as you can in the direction of the nearest people or building that you can see. Especially avoid getting into a vehicle, since it will be much harder for authorities to find you if your attacker drives you a long distance. If you’re taken hostage, the situation may unfold very quickly, and you might not have the opportunity to run. Yell to draw attention to the situation. If someone makes an attempt to kidnap you, start shouting right away, especially if you know there are people nearby. Even if the attackers manage to subdue you, keep yelling to try to get someone’s attention. If someone hears a shout and they see what’s happening, they may be able to help you before you’re taken away. Try yelling something like, ‘Help!’ or ‘Call the police!’ As a suggestion, yelling, ‘FIRE!!’ is your best bet. People are more likely to respond to fire, and this can summon help faster. At the very least, an onlooker can contact the authorities and let them know that an abduction has taken place. They may also provide critical details like the kidnapper’s physical appearance or the type of vehicle they’re driving. They may really try to get the license plate to see if the car was stolen or to see if it is really their car. Fight your attacker as hard as you can. It is really hard not to panic, but if you can stay calm and focused on survival, you may be able to fight off an attack if someone grabs you. Fight in any way you’re able, whether that’s hitting, kicking, biting, or scratching. As you do that, try to target your kidnapper’s eyes, nose, throat, or groin, as these are especially sensitive targets. As long as there’s still a chance you could break free and run, it’s worth fighting for. This is your best chance to escape, because the moment it is hectic, and there’s a chance someone will see what’s happening and intervene. Look for objects in your environment to use as weapons. As you’re fighting off your attacker, try to gather yourself enough to scan around you. Look for anything that’s close enough to grab that might give you an edge in the fight. If there’s nothing that you can use as an offensive weapon, check for anything you can use as a barrier between you and your attacker, like a chair or a table. For instance, even if your attacker knocks you down, you might spot a loose chunk of sidewalk that you can grab to hit them with. In your home, you might be able to grab a heavy vase or lamp, a fireplace poker, or even a large book. Dealing with Being Captured Follow your captors’ instructions once you are in captivity. If at any point it becomes clear that your captors have gained the upper hand, stop resisting right away and comply with any orders they give you. You’re more likely to be hurt or killed if you continue fighting after you’re overpowered such as if you’re being held by multiple people, put in restraints, or placed in a vehicle or other confined space. Once you’re abducted or taken hostage, it’s best to take a measured approach to escaping, rather than an impulsive one, so start evaluating the surroundings rather than fighting to get away. If you’re put into a vehicle while you’re conscious, try to pay attention to as much about the trip as you can, like how long the car travels without stopping, the direction of any turns, or any sounds you notice on the road. If you’re in the trunk of a car, look for a glow-in-thedark handle that you can pull to release yourself from the trunk. If this release cord isn’t present, try to kick out the tail lights and wave your hands to alert other motorists that you’re trapped inside. Stay calm and focused on survival. It might be really hard, but once you’re taken captive, try to dig deep within yourself to find your composure. Try to…

Anil Puri CMD, APS group A thought leader and an action catalyzer rolled into one – Anil Puri is a rare combination of a visionary, and one who has mastered the art of strategic and tactical thinking to the core. He has been using this combination to seed new ideas and to lead them to their implementation on-ground. This has been a consistent feature of his career. He has rich experience of approximately 35 years in corporate in diverse domains & from functional managerial level to apex as chairman of a corporate group. His acumen for handling crisis management has prompted him to share his exclusive and niche experiences. He will be discussing the topic in four distinct parts in separate articles; Part 1 – Hostage situation & ways to deal with hostage situation; Part 2 – Negotiation skills; Part 3 – How to survive an abduction or hostage situation, and finally in Part 4 – The role of corporate security. He will take you through realistically at ground zero in visualization and response matrix through series of these four articles. His second article illustrates at length the role of positive attitude in negotiation skills to counter hostage situation. Dynamics of Hostage Negotiation Hostage negotiation is all about psychology, and successful crisis negotiators are among the most skilled practical psychologists I’ve ever met. Think about it – in the typical hostage scenario, lives are at imminent risk of violent death at the hands of a depressed, suicidal, homicidal, delusional, drug fueled, or cold-blooded hostage-taker, often in the midst of a chaotic and uncontrolled workplace or family environment. Resolution of hostage crises may take hours or even days of incredibly focused and intense negotiation, and require the use of virtually every type of skilled communication strategy in the crisis intervention skill box. Although hostage situations can vary greatly based on the motivations of the hostage-taker and the exact circumstances surrounding the incident, there are some basic facts that apply to all hostage situations. The hostage-taker wants to obtain something as ransom. This can be as simple as money, personal safety or safe passage to another country, or it can involve complicated political goals. The target of the hostage-taker is not the hostage itself, it is some third party (a person, a company or a government) that can provide whatever the hostage-taker wants. The hostages are bargaining chips. They may have symbolic value (e.g., 1972 Munich Olympics, in which the target was the Israeli government and the hostages were Israeli athletes), but the hostages themselves could be anyone. Whether it is a barricaded crisis situation or negotiations with a bad actor holding hostages, the keys to success are the skills of the negotiator or intervener to effectively communicate. Little else matters if communications is not established, maintained and utilized in such a way that management of the instant situation becomes possible. Most negotiators think that they are effective communicators. Some are, many are not. Communications must be practiced over and over again to assure proficiency. This article provides the rudiments of the skills needed for success in the field. Hostage Crises: The statistics – The facts & fiction Fewer than 20 percent of law enforcement critical incidents deal with actual hostage taking, and most crises are successfully resolved without the loss of life. In fact, containment and negotiation strategies yield a 95 percent success rate in terms of resolving a hostage crisis without fatalities to either hostages or hostage-takers (HTs), which is a remarkable statistic for any form of lifesaving crisis intervention strategy. There are three especially dangerous periods during a hostage crisis. The first is the initial 15-45 minutes when confusion and panic are likely to be greatest. The second is during the surrender of the HTs, when strong emotions, ambivalence, and lack of coordination among HTs and crisis team members can cause an otherwise successful resolution to go bad. Finally, tactical assault to rescue the hostages carries the highest casualty rate, probably for two interrelated reasons. First, the very fact that tactical intervention is necessary indicates that all reasonable attempts to resolve the crisis by negotiation have failed, and that violence against the hostages has already taken place, or is imminent. Second, if a firefight ensues, the resulting panic and confusion may result in hostages being inadvertently killed or injured. Phases through which Hostage situations moves Initial phase: This phase is violent and brief and lasts as long as it takes for the hostage-takers to make their assault and subdue the hostages. The end of this phase is often marked by the presentation of the hostage-taker’s demands. Negotiation phase: At this point, law-enforcement officials are on the scene, and the demands have probably been received. This phase can last hours, days or months and could also be referred to as ‘the standoff phase.’ Physically, nothing about the situation changes greatly. The hostages and the hostage-takers stay in the same place. However, a lot is happening during this phase in terms of the relationships developing between everyone involved. The negotiator’s job boils down to manipulating those relationships in a way that results in a peaceful ending. Termination phase: This is the brief, sometimes violent final phase. This phase has one of three results – the hostage-takers surrender peacefully and are arrested, police assault the hostage-takers and kill or arrest them, or the hostage-takers’ demands are granted and they escape. The fate of the hostages does not necessarily depend on what happens during the termination phase. Even when the hostage-takers give up, they may kill hostages during the negotiations. Often, hostages are killed either accidentally by police or intentionally by their captors during an assault. There have even been cases in which the hostage-takers were granted their demands, but they killed the hostage anyway. Post-incident stage: In this the effects of the incident play themselves out. These effects can include changes in the status of the groups responsible, shifts in the relationships between world governments or increases in security. Negotiation &…

Govt seeks help of private security guards in coronavirus vaccination programme: G Kishan Reddy Private security guards may be added in the frontline workers list for getting early vaccination The Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) has organized its fifteenth edition of annual Security Leadership Summit 2020 on 17 December 2020 in association with Association of Private Detectives and Investigators (APDI), BW BUSINESSWORLD, SecurityLinkIndia, International Council for Industrial Security & Safety Management (ICISSM).  The private security industry has been observing the pandemic Covid19 and its roles in pandemic all through the year – it led the way in ensuring a completely safe and secure environment during this bad phase. Now that when the country is in the transition phase to a post-Covid19 era, private security agencies are still playing a pivotal role. This summit was a great forum to analyze the role of private security firms during pandemic. The government was given due credit for its endeavor and support during the pandemic. Inclusion of the private security services (PSS) in the ‘essential services’ list was hailed as a big boost for the industry. The summit also hailed the recent amendments in the PSARA Rules that go in favour of the industry to enable ease of doing business. People present there also hoped that the mechanism of GST levied on the services by the industry shall also be dealt by the central government the way the industry has been demanding. G Kishan Reddy, the Union Minister of State for Home, who was the Chief Guest of the occasion, said that as India eagerly awaits the launch of Coronavirus vaccine, the government and health agencies will take help of the 90 lakh private security guards across India in the roll out of massive vaccination drive. “It is not easy for the government, police or officials to distribute and administer Coronavirus vaccine to 130 crore people across the country. This is why private security industry will have a great role to play in this job. With their numerical strength  security guards can ensure wider and faster distribution of vaccine and ensure that every household is covered in the vaccination programme,” said Mr Reddy. He praised the security  industry for its yeoman service during the Corona pandemic prompting the government to cover the industry under the ‘essential services. “For, they have been playing a role everywhere – they worked as frontline warriors in the time of Corona pandemic at hospitals, banks, markets, institutions. This is why this industry is an important part of India’s security system and Home Ministry has been taking various steps to promote and strengthen it,” he stated. He also assured that the Home Ministry will take up with the Union Finance Ministry for relaxation in the GST regime for the private security industry. He stated the government was committed to make the private security industry meet global standards and promote ease of doing business in the industry. The fact is that the pandemic has impacted all and it severely affected the industries as well. This has resulted in unpredicted hardships for professionals across all fields. Nevertheless, the security industry of India has managed to remain steadfast through this all, and performed beyond the call of duty. It showcased its true potential and the government declared it as the essential service. The front line warriors of this industry set many great examples across India during the lock down. This summit honoured them and indeed presented Badge of Honour to the frontline Corona warriors including Mr. Reddy, Gen VK Singh, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, who was the Guest of Honour in the concluding session of the Summit, and other industry stalwarts, and commemorated their efforts. Vivek Bharadwaj, IAS, Joint Secretary, Police Modernization, MHA, who played a significant role in bringing ease of doing business environment in the industry was honoured with the ‘Ease of doing Business’ Award. Speaking at the event, Vivek Bhardwaj said that the Home Ministry would write to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry to include private guards in the frontline workers list so that they could also be included in the first phase of the vaccination programme. Kunwar Vikram Singh, Chairman, CAPSI thanked the frontline warrior organisations for working on the ground to secure enterprises across the nation and therefore contributing to the nation-building efforts. This ensured a smooth and safe transition into a post-Covid world, He also thanked the Chief Guest for taking decisive and timely decisions during the height of the pandemic which resulted in confidence within the industry. He also put in a request that the GST levied on the services within the industry be duly dealt with. Another positive impact he mentioned was the collaboration between international security certification agencies and CAPSI which has enabled Indian security guards and companies to be able to operate or provide their services globally and make it possible to reach out to a larger audience. The chairman said that CAPSI has entered into tie ups and agreements with various global agencies to improve employability of private security guards globally. “We have tie ups with three international organisations. These will impart a forty hour training module to our guards to arm them with certification. With this, we  will help them get employment globally,” he added, “Indian private security guards are in great demand globally and this is the opportunity we need to grab.”