Lok Sabha Question No. 3761 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-21
Subject: Forensic Reports
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Rajiv Pratap Rudy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3761

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 21 ST  DECEMBER, 2021/ AGRAHAYANA 30, 1943 (SAKA) FORENSIC REPORTS

3761. SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  there  are  several  cases  pending  for  investigation/delayed  due  to absence/delay in furnishing forensic reports;
- (b) if so, the details thereof with the kind of forensic reports, number of forensic labs and forensic experts required and currently present for investigations in the country, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the details of the steps taken by the Government to increase the infrastructure of forensic labs and number of trained technical experts; and
- (d)  the  details  of  the  number  of  pendency  of  cases  due  to  absence/delay  in furnishing forensic reports in Saran and the steps taken by the Government?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI AJAY KUMAR MISHRA)

- (a): Availability of forensic report facilitates investigation. However, disposal of cases depends on several factors such as category of the case (Civil or Criminal), complexity  of  the  facts  involved,  nature  of  evidence  and  co-operation  of  the stakeholders, etc.

(b):   There are a total of 112 State and Regional Forensic Science Laboratories and  418  Mobile  Forensic  Units  in States/Union  Territories. Details are at Annexure.  'Police'  and  'Public  order'  are  State  subjects  under  the  Seventh schedule  to  the  Constitution  of  India.  Details  on  the  kind  of  forensic  report, number  of  forensic  labs  and  forensic  experts  required  in  the  State/Union Territories are not maintained centrally.

## LS.US.Q.NO.3761 FOR 21.12.2021

(c): In  order  to  assist  State/Union  Territories  in  strengthening  their  Forensic Science  Laboratories  that  would  inter-alia  help  reduce  the  pendency  of  cases, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has taken the following initiatives:

- (i) Projects  approved  for  strengthening  DNA  analysis,  Cyber-forensics  and related facilities in 23 States/UT at a total cost of Rs.203.45 crore under Nirbhaya Fund.
- (ii) A total of Rs.195.97 crore has been approved to the States for strengthening Forensic Science Laboratories in financial years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 under the scheme for Modernization of Police Forces.
- (iii) To ensure quality and standardization in forensic examination, the Directorate of Forensic Science  Services,  MHA,  has  issued the following guidelines:
- -Quality Manuals  for accreditation of laboratories as  per  NABL standards  (ISO  17025)  and  Working  Procedure  Manuals  in  nine disciplines of Forensic Sciences.
- -Quality Manuals and Working Procedure Manuals for Biology and DNA Division.
- -Guidelines  for  collection,  preservation  &  transportation  of  forensic evidence  in  sexual  assault  cases  for  Investigation  Officers  and medical Officers.
- -Standard  list  of  Equipment  for  establishing/upgrading  of  Forensic Sciences Laboratories.

## LS.US.Q.NO.3761 FOR 21.12.2021

(iv) The  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  has  set  up  a  National  Forensic  Sciences University,  with  headquarters  in  Gujarat.  The  University  has  its  campuses  in Delhi, Goa and Tripura.

(v)    Central  Forensic  Sciences  Laboratories  (CFSLs)  at  Bhopal,  Guwahati,  Pune and  Kolkata,  have  been  modernized,  including  capacity  building  in  terms  of forensic equipment and availability of trained manpower.

(vi) A  State-of-Art  DNA  Analysis  Unit  has  been  set-up  in  the  Central  Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Chandigarh, in December, 2019.

(vii) As a measure to enhance capacities of Investigation Officers, Prosecutors and Medical Officers in collection, handling and storage of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases, the Bureau of Police Research & Development, and the Lok Nayak  Jayaprakash  Narayan  National  Institute  of  Criminology  and  Forensic Sciences  have  trained  a  total  of  19972  officers  from  various  States/Union Territories since 2018-2019.

(viii)  Total 14950 Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits have been distributed to States/Union Territories for scientific collection of evidence.

(d):    'Police' and 'Public order' are State subjects under the Seventh schedule to the Constitution of India. Details on pendency of cases due to absence/delay in furnishing forensic reports in Saran and steps taken are not maintained centrally.

*******

## Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  Lok  Sabha  unstarredQuestion  No.  3761  for  reply  on  21 December 2021

| S No   | States/ UTs                 |   Number of State Forensic Science Laboratories |   Number of Regional Forensic Science Laboratories |   Number of Mobile Forensic Science Unit |
|--------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| 1      | Andhra Pradesh              |                                               1 |                                                  5 |                                       13 |
| 2      | Arunachal Pradesh           |                                               1 |                                                  0 |                                        0 |
| 3      | Assam                       |                                               1 |                                                  1 |                                        3 |
| 4      | Bihar                       |                                               1 |                                                  1 |                                        2 |
| 5      | Chhattisgarh                |                                               1 |                                                  3 |                                        9 |
| 6      | Goa                         |                                               1 |                                                  0 |                                        1 |
| 7      | Gujarat                     |                                               1 |                                                  6 |                                       33 |
| 8      | Haryana                     |                                               1 |                                                  4 |                                        4 |
| 9      | Himachal Pradesh            |                                               1 |                                                  2 |                                        1 |
| 10     | Jammu & Kashmir             |                                               1 |                                                  2 |                                        4 |
| 11     | Jharkhand                   |                                               1 |                                                  1 |                                        4 |
| 12     | Karnataka                   |                                               1 |                                                  5 |                                       15 |
| 13     | Kerala                      |                                               1 |                                                  2 |                                       20 |
| 14     | Madhya Pradesh              |                                               1 |                                                  4 |                                       38 |
| 15     | Maharashtra                 |                                               1 |                                                  5 |                                       45 |
| 16     | Manipur                     |                                               1 |                                                  0 |                                        0 |
| 17     | Meghalaya                   |                                               1 |                                                  0 |                                        1 |
| 18     | Mizoram                     |                                               1 |                                                  0 |                                        2 |
| 19     | Nagaland                    |                                               1 |                                                  0 |                                        0 |
| 20     | Odisha                      |                                               1 |                                                  3 |                                       36 |
| 21     | Puducherry                  |                                               1 |                                                  1 |                                        0 |
| 22     | Punjab                      |                                               1 |                                                  3 |                                       19 |
| 23     | Rajasthan                   |                                               1 |                                                  6 |                                       34 |
| 24     | Sikkim                      |                                               1 |                                                  0 |                                        0 |
| 25     | Tamil Nadu                  |                                               1 |                                                 10 |                                       34 |
| 26     | Telangana                   |                                               1 |                                                  8 |                                        0 |
| 27     | Tripura                     |                                               1 |                                                  0 |                                        3 |
| 28     | Uttar Pradesh               |                                               1 |                                                  4 |                                       75 |
| 29     | Uttarakhand                 |                                               1 |                                                  1 |                                        2 |
| 30     | West Bengal                 |                                               1 |                                                  2 |                                        5 |
| 31     | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |                                               1 |                                                  0 |                                        1 |
| 32     | Delhi                       |                                               1 |                                                  1 |                                       14 |
| Total  | Total                       |                                              32 |                                                 80 |                                      418 |

Source: - Data on Police Organization 2020.