Amit Shah Addresses 5th International and 44th All India Criminology Conference at National Forensic Science University in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed the 5th International and 44th All India Criminology Conference of the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat today.

In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that this conference is being inaugurated at a time when India’s criminal justice system is entering into a new era. He said that India has abolished the 150-year-old original laws of criminal justice and introduced new laws. He said that two of the major issues in these three laws are related to this conference. First, to deliver timely justice and second, to curb crimes by increasing conviction rate. He said that in all three laws, efforts are being made to take both these issues forward with the help of technology. Home Minister added that we have taken a bold decision and it has been made mandatory for a Forensic Science Officer to visit the crime scene of offences which have punishment of 7 years or more. He said that this will simplify the investigation, it will be easier for the judges and it will also make the prosecution simple. This will also help us in increasing the conviction rate. Along with this, efforts are also being made to modernize the entire process. Shri Shah said that after 5 years, India’s criminal justice system will be the most modern system in the world.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has done more than 50 path breaking works in every field in the last 10 years. He said that the Modi government has done 3 significant works in this field in the last 5 years only. First, after 40 years, the Modi government came up with a new National Education Policy which is completely based on Indian education, open to the whole world and will also provide a global platform to our children. Second, the foundation of NFSU which was laid down in Gujarat in 2003 expanded to establish the National Forensic Science University. Third, by making changes in the criminal justice system after 150 years, we have made three laws new. Shri Shah added that if these three changes are seen together, there can be a comprehensive change in education, forensic science and the criminal justice system. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, such arrangements have been made that after 5 years the country will get more than 9 thousand scientific officers and forensic science experts every year.

Shri Amit Shah said that today’s conference is being held on the topic of Forensic Behavioural Science and this is an emerging field. He said that Behavioural Science can play an equal role in preventing crimes as does a strict administration and a good judiciary. He said that this idea is one step ahead of the Modus Operandi Bureau that we have created. Home Minister said that if we study behaviour well and coordinate it by giving it a place in primary education, then we can stop the making of a criminal. He said that forensic science cannot serve the society in isolation, unless we integrate forensic science with all the stakeholders in the judicial process, we cannot get its benefits. Shri Shah said that forensic science should be used in investigation, prosecution, justice system and now the time has come to go one step further by adopting it in education. He said this is an important event in the direction of preventive, predictive and protective policing. An in-depth study of the criminal mind and behaviour and its strategic use in preventing crimes from happening in the coming days and preventing criminals from rising up will be a great service to the entire world. He said that a Digital Forensic Excellence Centre has also been inaugurated today to help in capacity building and investigation.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that in the last 75 years after independence, India has become the world’s largest democracy and no one in the world can question the faith of the Indian people towards democracy. He said that when India completes 100 years of independence in 2047, we will have to move forward on the basis of the reforms done by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in every field to fulfil the resolve of leading India in every field. He said that in such a time, there are 4 challenges before our criminal justice system – to become the most modern police system by boldly accepting technology in the entire system without compromising on the principle of basic policing, to not allow the use of technology to diminish the importance of human presence, to identify hybrid and multi-dimensional threats and prepare the entire network to protect our systems from them, and, to make our criminal justice system the most modern criminal justice system in the world and to adopt forensics in it as a bold feature. Home Minister added that we are moving forward with these 4 challenges. He said that in the process of getting justice, there are problems of its being available, accessible and affordable and the solution to these three lies in technology. Shri Shah said that today the form, mode and method of crime is changing every day and in such a situation the police need to be two generations ahead of crime and criminals. He said that to prevent crimes, we should also try to bring global uniformity in the policies and rules of technology.

Shri Amit Shah said that integrating the criminal justice system, technology and forensic investigation was a big challenge before us, Modi government has given a big place to forensic science in the investigation, prosecution and judicial process on the basis of law in three new laws. This is going to open up a huge field for the youth. Home Minister said that with the help of forensic technology, we have been able to protect the independence, autonomy and fairness of investigation in a good way by giving it legal cover. Shri Shah said that with these three laws Ease of Justice and Ease of Policing words will come into use and the public will also get benefit from them. He said that after intensive hard work the Ministry of Home Affairs has prepared many databases in the last 5 years and a lot of work is also being done on data integration.

The Union Home Minister said that these three new laws have not been brought in isolation and before bringing them, whatever needs to be done in the next 5 years has been visualized. He said that all three new criminal laws will be implemented within 5 years. Shri Shah said that till now the education system of our country was based on one size fits all, but through the new education policy, Modi ji has made it dynamic and timely. He said that using this we have established a Forensic Science University to prepare experts in forensic science. Shri Shah said that soon nine more campuses of this university will start in one year and thus one campus will be available in every other state of the country. He said that young students should work on the principle of One Data One Entry.

Shri Amit Shah said that for the first time, the basic Indian concept of justice has been given place in the three new laws brought by Modi ji- Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. He said that the purpose of the old laws was to protect British rule, but these three laws of Modi ji have been made with a pan-Indian vision. Shri Shah said that now after the introduction of these new laws decision on FIRs will be ensured in 3 years. In these laws, we have adopted dimensions ranging from ease of justice to simple, consistent, transparent and timely.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation told the youth present in the program that Prime Minister Modi has envisioned taking India to the first place in the world in every field, this also includes forensic science and this work has to be done by the youth. He said that after making new arrangements, India will definitely be at first place in the world in the field of forensic science.