ENHANCING THE FORENSIC CAPABILITIES

The Ministry of Home Affairs, citing a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, reports that under the Nirbhaya Fund (≈₹4,800 crore) it is strengthening the forensic ecosystem. Key actions include: a state‑of‑the‑art DNA Analysis and R&D facility at the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Chandigarh; upgrades to equipment across existing CFSLs covering new disciplines such as narcotics, digital forensics and forensic psychology; establishment of a National Cyber Forensic Laboratory in Hyderabad and approval for six more under the ‘Safety of Women’ umbrella; approval for eight new Central Forensic Science Laboratories and 14 additional campuses of the National Forensic Sciences University; training of 37,978 investigators, prosecutors and medical officers; and allocation of ₹420 crore for modernising state forensic labs and ₹496.66 crore for mobile forensic vans. A National Forensic Data Centre has also been approved.