The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has approved projects for strengthening DNA analysis, cyber-forensics and related facilities in 23 States/UTs under Nirbhaya Fund Scheme, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said today.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, he said the Department of Biotechnology in the Ministry of Science and Technology has formulated ‘The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill’ to provide, regulation of the use and application of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) technology with the aim to establish the identity of certain categories of persons, including victims, offenders, suspects, undertrials, missing persons and unknown deceased persons.
He said the draft bill which is under consideration has the provision to set up DNA data banks across the country to store DNA profiles.
The minister said that to ensure quality and standardisation in forensic examination, that includes cases related to DNA based forensics, the Directorate of Forensic Science Services (DFSS) in the MHA has issued quality manual and working procedure manuals for biology and DNA division and the guidelines for collection of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases.
For capacity building, 23,233 Investigation Officers (IQs), Prosecution Officers (POs) and Medical Officers have been trained on the collection of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases and the standard components in a sexual assault evidence collection kit. A State-of-the-Art DNA analysis laboratory has also been set up by the MHA in the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Chandigarh.