New Delhi: The government on Monday withdrew the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019 from Lok Sabha. Amid sloganeering by opposition members over the Manipur violence, Union Minister Jitendra Singh withdrew the Bill when the House reassembled at 12 noon after an earlier adjournment.
When asked, the minister explained that since most of the Clauses of the “The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill” have broadly been covered in “The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022” which was brought by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the decision has been taken by the Government to withdraw “The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019”.
The Lok Sabha passed the withdrawal of “The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill – 2019”. This Bill was formulated by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, recognizing the need for the regulation of the use and application of DNA technology.
Since most of the Clauses of the “The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill” have broadly been covered in “The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022” which was brought by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the decision has been taken by the Government to withdraw “The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019”.
The primary intended purpose of “The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill – 2019” was for use and application of DNA technology for the purpose of establishing the identity of certain categories i.e. missing persons, victims, offenders, under trials and unknown deceased persons to strengthen the justice delivery system of the country, Dr Singh said.
Further, the government enacted “The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022” in April 2022 to authorise taking measurements of convicts and other persons for the purposes of identification and investigation in criminal matters and to preserve records.
Since most of the Clauses of the “The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill” have broadly been covered in “The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022”, the decision has been taken by the Government to withdraw “The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019”, the union minister said.
DNA testing is now universally accepted as the gold standard of forensic investigation. The Criminal Procedure Act (Identification) 2022 comes in place of the repealed “Identification of Prisoners Act 1920”.
