Bill on DNA testing in Parliament soon: Chidambaram

The Centre will soon bring a bill in Parliament on DNA testing and set up a DNA data bank to strengthen forensic investigation, home minister P Chidambaram said today.

"The country needs a law on DNA technology and for this, a bill is in the final stages," he said at the inaugural session of the 20th All India Forensic Science Conference here.

Chidamabarm said that arms policy and the Arms Act are also under review and amendments will be finalised soon.

"A fire arm data bank and a law on DNA testing are in the offing," he said.

Asking scientists to adopt newer technologies and applications in forensic science, Chidambaram said that Rs300 crore will be spent on the expansion, modernisation and upgradation of forensic science laboratories (FSL) under the 11th Five Year Plan.

Six regional FSL, 52 mobile FSL units and six high-tech Central FSL are in the pipeline, he said.

"There is no dearth of fund for this," Chidambaram said, while announcing that year 2010 will be observed as the Forensic Science Year.

The home minister also said that a DNA data bank will be set up soon.

"Around thirty countries have DNA banks and India will have one soon," he said.