DNA Profiling Bill invited plethora of controversies on the grounds of right to privacy and was cleared by Union Cabinet last month. This bill proposes the creation of a databank which will hold DNA samples for forensic investigation of crime.
To understand this, first we need to know what exactly DNA profiling means? DNA profiling involves the comparison of DNA for the comparison in paternity and forensic investigations. Much like you would have seen in movies or TV serials like CID. So according to the proposal of the bill, the law enforcement institutions reserve the right to create a databank with the genetic information, it being as unique as fingerprints, so that it can enhance crime investigation.
Framed by the Department of Biotechnology, DNA Profiling Bill was first conceptualized by the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 15 years ago. The bill aims at creating “DNA profiles” which will be helpful to law-enforcement agencies in forensic-criminal investigations.
The Center, which has often been the target of the allegations of citizens’ right to privacy, was again accused for interfering into the private space of people. The secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, Renu Swarup, however claims that, “This (DNA Profiling Bill) doesn’t aim to create a database of DNA profiles…The databanks can only store information related to criminal investigations and the DNA details of suspects will be deleted”. Moreover, other senior officials ensure that the bill contains many such clauses which prevent the leaking of any kind of information.
Despite the assurances and explanations, the civil rights activists cast a look of suspicion on the DNA Profiling Bill, the basis of which is
right to privacy, the cost of the creation of databanks, the issues of caste and bias, and the unreliability of India’s law-enforcement institutions.
Big superpowers like the USA and the UK are already using DNA profiling for their states’ crime investigation and they have been doing it successfully so far. United Kingdom National DNA Database (NDNAD) maintains DNA profiles of nearly 7% of its citizens, representing the largest population proportion in the world. The largest DNA database was set up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US—the Combined DNA Index System (or Codis). The database contains more than 12 million offender profiles, more than 2.5 million arrested profiles and 750,000 forensic profiles, as the reports tell.
But the usage of DNA profiling by these states doesn’t mean India is ready for it. DNA Profiling Bill may have its own benefits like convicting serious criminals, seeking information for seemingly unrelated crimes and even preventing crimes in some cases. But in a corruption-ridden country like India, it can be more disadvantageous than advantageous. The example of Aadhar linking is already in front of us. There would always be the threat of not only our, but the details of our family being misused in unimaginable variety of ways.
