NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the All India Forensic Science Summit 2025 organized by the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in New Delhi. The theme of the conference was 'Role of Forensic Science in Effective Implementation of New Criminal Laws and Combating Terrorism'.

Paying tribute to Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Babasaheb worked to finalize the Constitution of India. It was a Herculean task to finalize the Constitution after thousands of hours of intense discussion on every subject, but Babasaheb composed the Constitution by incorporating all aspects keeping in mind the needs of the country and with the idea of ​​maintaining the relevance of the Constitution for many years.  Shah said that our Constitution is not just a book. It has a system for the protection of the body, property and honor of every citizen and forensic science is now playing a very useful role in strengthening the criminal justice system associated with the protection of these three.

He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister  Narendra Modi, we are striving to make the justice system people-centric and scientific. Efforts are also being made to ensure that those seeking justice get justice on time and also have the satisfaction of getting justice. Through this, our aim is to create a safe, capable and competent India. Union Home Minister said that to strengthen the criminal justice system, the Government of India has brought three new criminal laws in the form of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).

Union Home Minister said that forensics is not a new idea in our country. Its detailed description is found in Charak Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Kautilya's Arthashashtra. Acharya Kautilya has guided the world in detail on topics like toxicology, identification of poison, body language of suspects, and identification of accused on the basis of speech.

Shah said that without forensic science, it is not possible to deliver timely justice and increase the rate of conviction. He said that the entire scenario of crime has changed today. Now criminals use different means of technology, information and communication, due to which crime has now become borderless. Earlier, crime used to happen in a small part of a district, state or country, but now crime has become borderless. Modern crimes now transcend city, state, national, and even international boundaries. In such a situation, the importance of forensic science has increased a lot.  Shah said that when PM Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and he was the Home Minister, the seed of Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, planted by  Narendra Modi in 2009, has now grown into a banyan tree in the form of the National Forensic Sciences University — the first university of its kind in the world. He said that it is a matter of joy for him that when the National Forensic Sciences University was established on 1 October 2020,  Narendra Modi was the Prime Minister and he was the Home Minister of the country.

Union Home Minister said that PM Modi’s visionary leadership has brought significant transformation to the country’s criminal justice system. He emphasized that a system has been established where neither the accused nor the complainant is subjected to injustice. To ensure this balance, integrating forensic science into the criminal justice process is essential.  Shah highlighted that the steps taken in 2009 and 2020 to establish the Forensic Science University are not only producing skilled professionals but also paving the way for research across various fields. He noted that the university has become a trusted institution for forensic analysis in complex cases and has also evolved into a hub for equipping the country’s forensic laboratories with modern technology. He further added that the university offers a wide range of programs, including degree, diploma, PhD, and research courses. Additionally, it has developed and adopted numerous indigenous technologies and has created toolkits to supply these innovations to police forces across the nation.

Shah underlined that following the directive of Prime Minister  Narendra Modi to get rid the country of colonial-era laws, work on finalizing new criminal laws was carried out between 2019 and 2024. He noted that extensive discussions during this period revealed the extent to which the outdated laws were harming India's criminal justice system. He emphasized that if laws are not updated in accordance with changing times, they become obsolete and irrelevant. He added that the original intent of the old criminal laws was not to deliver justice to Indian citizens but to uphold British rule. In contrast, the three new criminal laws introduced under PM Modi’s leadership have been crafted by Indians, for the protection and justice of Indian citizens.  Shah said that this represents the most significant legal reform of the 21st century. He further explained that the new laws provide a legal foundation for the use of modern technology and have been designed with a forward-looking approach — incorporating not only current technologies but also anticipating technological developments for the next 100 years.

Union Home Minister said that the new laws have formally defined e-documents and e-summons. He explained that the method of technology used is irrelevant as long as the law recognizes e-documents, and similarly, once people accept e-summons, the mode of delivery no longer matters. He emphasized that technology has been integrated at every stage of the criminal justice process — from the crime scene to investigation, and through to the trial. Forensic investigation has been made mandatory for all crimes that carry a punishment of more than seven years. He expressed confidence that these changes will lead to India achieving the highest conviction rate in the world in the coming decade.

Shah said that the conviction rate in the country is currently stands at 54 per cent. He said that terrorism has been defined in the new laws. Voice logs and digital voice mail have also been given a place. Arrangements have also been made in BNSS to give legal basis to audio, video recordings, videography of forensic evidence and digital records in interrogation. Arrangements have been made to ensure justice within the stipulated period by setting time limits for the police, prosecution and judicial system. He said that its results have also started coming. In some cases, the rapist was convicted in 23 days and within 100 days the triple murder case was solved and the culprit was punished. Union Home Minister said that this was possible because technical evidence was recognized in the trial. He said that efforts have also been made to digitize the digital system of the entire country.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that today 100 per cent police stations in the country have been computerized through Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS). About 14 crore 19 lakh FIRs and their related documents have been made available online along with legacy data. 22 thousand courts have been equipped with the e-court facilities. Data of 2 crore 19 lakh is available through e-prison. Prosecution data of 1 crore 93 lakh cases is available through e-prosecution. 39 lakh forensic evidences are available online through e-forensics. He said that 16 lakh alerts have been generated from this. Fingerprints of 1 crore 53 lakh accused are available in the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS). These fingerprints have been shared with every police station. National Database of Human Trafficking Offender is also available.  Shah added that this data is separate right now, but in the next few years, the Home Ministry will hand over this data to the investigating teams using Artificial Intelligence. He said that then it will become very easy to formulate a strategy to prevent crime and it will also be very beneficial in controlling crime.

Union Home Minister said that due to the farsightedness of PM Modi, we had established the National Forensic Sciences University in the year 2020 itself, while three new criminal laws came into force in 2024. He said that seven campuses of the National Forensic Sciences University have been established in different states of the country. 9 more campuses will be established in the next 6 months. Apart from these, the establishment of 10 more campuses is proposed.  Shah said that there will be no state in the country where there is no campus of National Forensic Sciences University. We will work to make each campus the best unit in the world by giving it one subject. The students of the university will be helped in research and development so that they achieve heights in research and make the campus the best in the allotted subject. Home Minister said that after its completion, every year 36 thousand diploma and degree holder youth will pass out from these campuses and strengthen our criminal justice system.

Shah said that there is a need for 30,000 trained professionals to visit every crime scene where the punishment is more than seven years. He noted that each year, around 36,000 students will graduate from the National Forensic Sciences University, many of whom will go on to work in private forensic laboratories as well. He further mentioned that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is working on an agreement between private and government Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs), allowing certain samples received by government FSLs to also be analyzed by private labs. He added that NFSU is advancing into several emerging fields, including drone forensics, smart city forensics, marine forensics, and corporate forensics.  Shah also highlighted the growing international presence of NFSU, stating that around 240 foreign students are currently enrolled, and that the university will continue to expand globally in the coming years.

Union Home Minister emphasized the need to categorize offenders into habitual criminals, those driven to crime by circumstances, and those who committed crimes out of necessity. He stressed the importance of providing psychological counseling to such individuals within jails, with the goal of encouraging them to become responsible citizens. He expressed confidence that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India will be able to develop a robust forensic science-based system for prisoner rehabilitation within the next couple of years.  Shah also said that a Modus Operandi Bureau has been established, which will play a vital role in controlling crime by analyzing criminal behavior patterns.

Shah acknowledged that the country faces numerous challenges, many of which can be addressed through the effective use of forensic science. He called for close collaboration between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Forensic Sciences University to work toward building a crime-free society through scientific solutions. Union Home Minister said that, during the conference, young individuals were recognized for their outstanding performance in the hackathon and their efforts to promote the use of the Hindi language.