How Security Guards Must Be Trained and Verified Under PSARA: The 160-Hour Standard Explained

Every private security agency in India operates under the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005 (PSARA). The Private Security Agencies Central Model Rules, 2020 set out how guards must be trained, verified and identified. States adopt and adapt these rules, so local requirements may add to them.

Training: 100 hours in class, 60 in the field

Under Rule 8, an entry-level security guard must complete a minimum of 100 hours of classroom instruction and 60 hours of field training, spread over at least 20 working days. Ex-servicemen and former police personnel take a condensed course of at least 40 classroom hours and 16 field hours over at least 7 working days. Successful trainees receive a training certificate in Form VIII, and certificates from one state's institutes are accepted in other states.

Background verification before deployment

Rule 7 requires the agency to satisfy itself about a person's character and antecedents before engaging them as a guard or supervisor. This can be done with a valid character certificate or through police databases such as CCTNS, accessed via the Controlling Authority or the police. The authority must issue the verification report within 15 days, and it stays valid for five years, even if the guard changes employer.

Photo identity cards and registers

• Each guard must carry a photo ID card (Form XI) showing a colour photograph, full name, the agency's name, employee number, position and validity date (Rule 13).
• On duty, the card must be worn on the outermost garment, above waist level.
• Agencies must keep their statutory registers electronically (Rule 12).

Questions to ask your security agency

1. Can you show the training certificates for the guards deployed at my site?
2. Has each guard's character and antecedent verification been completed before deployment?
3. Do your guards wear photo ID cards on duty?
4. Is your PSARA licence valid for my district, and when is it due for renewal?

At Finest Forten Security Forces we brief every client on how guards are selected, trained and supervised. Talk to our team to learn more.

Sources

• Private Security Agencies Central Model Rules, 2020 (LegitQuest)
• Central Model Rules, 2020 - notification (StaffNews)

Last reviewed: 10 November 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Wage rates and rules change; confirm current figures with the Uttar Pradesh Labour Department or the relevant authority.