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IISSM Marches Ahead
(A Report on IISSM-2006)
“I feel proud that some 16 years down the line the International Institute of Security and Safety Management is now recongised for its contribution in the field of private security management,” thus observed Mr. Subodh Kant Sahay, the Minister of State for Food Processing Industry, Govt. of India, in his inaugural address to the XVIth Annual International Seminar on November 21, 2006, held at Hotel Le Meredien, New Delhi. Further adding, “I will take up any recommendation made by you and take your delegation to any level,” the Minister wished a bigger role for the IISSM in the security industry.
The 3-day long (November 21-23, 2006) Seminar of the IISSM witnessed a kind of professional camaraderie not often seen among delegates and experts coming from different corners of the world. Industry leaders from all over the country graced the occasion and at times actively participated in the deliberations, making the event professionally highly beneficial. Senior retired bureaucrats had also made their distinguished presence felt. The Director General of Police, Karnataka, actually presided over a panel discussion, and also present were about 15 government officers of the rank of IGs and DIGs or of equivalent rank from different departments of the government, including a special cell from the Prime Minister’s Office. High level representatives from the corporate sector, both public and private, indeed made the proceedings not only interactive but educative as well. The private security agencies had sent in about one hundred delegates.
Keeping in tune with the topical theme of the Seminar ”Synergy between Pubic and Private Sector Security”, the Seminar began with a panel discussion on “Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act 2005: Impact on Man Guarding Industry and Role of Government as the Regulator”, and ended with a presentation on “Corporate Security and Contribution to National Infrastructure” by Commodore (Retd.) P.K. Viswanathan, the Principal Consultant, Asia Pacific, Honeywell Building Solutions, India. In between, there was a lively panel discussion on “Cash Management Services: The New Paradigm” presided over by an eminent retired banker, Mr. Vepa Kamesam, a former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, and currently MD of the Institute of Insurance and Risk Management, Hyderabad. In all, there were 11 individual presentations touching on aspects like “Role of Private Security Agencies in Disaster Management”, presented by Mr. Raj Lakha, CEO, Safety Solution (UK) Ltd., UK, “Case Study of Synergy between Public and Private Sector Systems on ‘Green Bay Dispute’” presented by Mr. Wang Chun-hsiung, Central Police University, Taiwan, Province of China “Security for Urban Transportation” presented by Mr. Kerran Campbell, Global Technical Director, Security, Sinclair Knight Merz, Australia, “Synergy between Public and Private Sector Security Systems” by Mr. Vepa Kamesam, “HR Synergy for Security Systems” by Prof. Sharu S. Rangnekar, “Enhancing the Synergy Between Man Machine Interface in the Security Environment” by Prof. Kris Pillay, Head of the Department of Security and Risk Management, University of South Africa.
Among the moderators of different sessions were: Mr. S.K. Sharma, IPS (Retd.), former Director General, National Crime Records Bureau, Prof. A.K. Sharma, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, Dr. Jauhari Lal, former Director General (HR), ONGC, and currently Secretary General and CEO, Petrotech, New Delhi, Mr. R.K. Agnihotri, former Director General of Police, Madhya Pradesh and Mr. R.C. Sharma, IPS (Retd.) former Director, Central Bureau of Investigation, Government of India.
In response to participants’ interest on the implication of Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act 2005, a special session was organnised for further in-depth discussion on the subject now engaging attention of all in view of the fact that this Act will have to take effect by March 2007.
A new feature introduced in this year’s Seminar was short-duration product presentations on security-related items which had evoked a very high level of interest from the participants.
IISSM’s annual Awards had always evoked keen competition every year and there was no difference this year. In addition to the six annual Awards, a new Award donated by a senior faculty (Capt. (Retd.) S.B. Tyagi) for “Best Security Professional of the Year” was also introduced this year. Also introduced were Awards for “Best Emerging Security Professional for the Year” instituted by the IISSM in the name of Col. Paul, “Best Security Systems Integrator of the Year” instituted in the name of late Sameer Wasu, and the “Best Consultant of the Year” donated by the Premier Shield Group. A special “Banking Security Bravery Award” was also announced by a senior faculty (Mr. S.S. Rajput) to commence from 2007. IISSM Awards took a totally new colour this year with Awards for Professional Excellence to a large number of established security professionals representing different private security agencies from all over the country. Needless to say, the account of Awards in IISSM 2006 could be a story by itself.
The Gala Dinner in the evening of November 22 offered tremendous scope for socialization and networking among security professionals coming from different parts of the world such as Australia, Bangadesh, Nepal, South Africa, UK, USA, Belgium, Kuwait and Taiwan, Province of China and of course from different States of India.
Professionally speaking, the most satisfying aspect of IISSM-2006 was the level of sustained interest displayed by the delegates in the proceedings all through and till the end. IISSM salutes them sincerely. A response from a senior delegate will explain how the participants liked the proceedings: “It was a wonderful experience, meeting all of you and to experience how well the IISSM-2006 Convention was organised. It was not an easy task but the Super Natural Powers were on the side of the Organisers and it was very professionally managed under the given circumstances.
‘Until the ending, it was as good as the beginning, if not better’.
Quite fittingly, the Honourable Union Home Minister of India, Mr. Shivraj V. Patil, was the Chief Guest at the valedictory session of the Seminar. Unavoidable circumstances prevented him from inaugurating the Seminar and so the Honourable Minister made special efforts to address the delegates in the valedictory session. In his inimitable and forthright manner, the Union Home Minister clarified that the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005, was not meant only to regulate the industry, but also to improve professionalism in the industry. The law is meant to encourage the private security agencies but the only point was that they should be reliable. Appreciating the role being played by private security agencies, the Home Minister concluded that private security agencies could indeed become very beneficial if there was synergy between them and the police. The IISSM could not have felt more satisfied at this point of time with the selection of the theme of the Seminar this year. In a particular reference to IISSM’s contribution in the field of private security industry, hinting at the presence of senior retired police officers in the hierarchy of the IISSM, the Union Home Minister observed, “While we could rely on you while in service, why we could not do so even today. We shall certainly consider the recommendations made by you.”
On the occasion of the Seminar, Mr. S.K. Sharma, Chairman of the IISSM’s standing committee on Professional Certification (CPC) announced the series of Professional Certification Programmes proposed to be launched during the year 2007.
Taking up the queue from last year when the management of IISSM was made open, three new members of the Board of Governors were elected during the course of IISSM-2006. The BOG also decided to hold the next Seminar, i.e., the XVIIth Annual International Seminar, in Mumbai. So, look to Mumbai from henceforth.
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