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Indian airport police told to cut down on smiling

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Armed Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) patrol at a new international arrival terminal, developed under an airport modernisation programme in Chennai on 28 September 2018Image source, AFP
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Indian authorities fear excessive friendliness could lead to attacks amid "lax security".

Airport police in India are being instructed to smile less.

This is over concerns cheerfulness could lead to a perception of lax security and a threat of terror attacks.

The country's Central Industrial Security Force, which is in charge of aviation safety, wants its staff to be "more vigilant than friendly".

They will move from a "broad smile system" to a "sufficient smile system", the Indian Express says.

Officials are said to believe that excessive friendliness puts airports at risk of terrorist attacks.

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The organisation's director general, Rajesh Ranjan even said the 9/11 attacks had taken place because of "an excessive reliance on passenger-friendly features".

This is not the first time Indian police officers have been told to improve their standards or alter their behaviour: