India to have 1.5 lakh plus forensic experts in 5 yrs : Shah

New Delhi, Jan 28 (Agency) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said in the next five years, India will have more than 1.5 lakh forensic science experts, which will be the largest in the world. The Home minister said plans are afoot to produce 10,000 forensic science experts every year during the next 11 years. Stating that it was important to maintain a step or two ahead of the criminals, we need to strengthen our facilities with modern Technology as third degree methods are not acceptable.

Laying the foundation stone for the 9th campus of the Gujarat based National forensic sciences University (NFSU) here Saturday, Amit Shah said the center is planning to make the forensic science-based investigation compulsory in the country for investigation of criminal and cyber crime cases. The centre is also planning to establish 50 NFSU Campuses in the country. The Dharwad Campus will be the first of its kind in South India. He said efforts are being made to strengthen the criminal justice system in the country to combat the increasing crime in various fields including counterfeit notes, hawala, crimes against women, cyber crime among others. Amit Shah said in future, the forensic science field will become one of the biggest fields and will play a very big role in technological development of the country. The Union Minister said compared to countries like the United States of America, Canada, Israel and many others, India is very much behind in this regard.

The NFSU has taken several steps and is working hard to increase the infrastructure in the use of FSL, he added. Crediting the establishment of the First National Forensic Sciences University in the world in Gujarat to former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, he said today there are eight campuses in the country where students can obtain degrees in subjects like cyber crime, digital crime, green energy, DNA technology, agriculture technology and environmental technology. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Karnataka is the only state in the country whose police department has an upgraded and operating forensic science laboratory with 200 staff and 54 scientists.