Latest news with #NationalForensicSciencesUniversity
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
CM vows to eliminate Maoism by March 2026, announces police Commissionerate system
Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, in his Independence Day address on Friday, pledged to eradicate Maoist insurgency from the Bastar region by March 31, 2026, and praised the efforts of security forces for their successful operations against the rebels in their strongholds. Speaking at the 79th Independence Day celebration at the Police Parade Ground in Raipur, he also announced that the Police Commissionerate system would soon be introduced in the state to further strengthen law enforcement. The CM highlighted the success of the government's aggressive anti-Naxal strategy, which combines intensive operations with a robust surrender policy. Since December 2023, over 450 Maoists have been neutralised, 1,578 arrested, and 1,589 surrendered. Prominent Maoist leaders, including Basavaraju and Sudhakar Reddy, were among those killed. Sai underscored the government's commitment to reaching the last mile, citing the transformation of Tadmetla, once the site of a deadly Maoist attack, into a hub of healthcare. The Chintagufa health centre now serves thousands and facilitates about 20 childbirths each month. With Maoist influence waning, 50 previously shut schools in Bastar have reopened, remote villages have gained electricity, and bank branches have opened in former insurgent zones like Pamed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo Under the Niyad Nella Naar – Your Good Village scheme, 327 villages have received access to basic facilities, he said. The event also marked the inauguration of the Chhattisgarh Rajat Mahotsav, commemorating 25 years of statehood. Paying tribute to freedom fighters like Shaheed Gend Singh, Veer Narayan Singh, and Veer Gundadhur, the CM called on citizens to embrace their legacy and work towards a prosperous Chhattisgarh. Sai also emphasised the state's role in PM Modi's 'Vocal for Local' initiative. He urged people to choose swadeshi products and called on MSMEs to ensure high quality and reduce import dependency. The government is actively promoting khadi, millets, pulses, and eco-friendly farming. Highlighting national defense, he praised the armed forces for safeguarding India's sovereignty, referencing operations from past wars with Pakistan to the recent Operation Sindoor in Pahalgam. On the housing front, the CM announced the approval of 18 lakh houses, including 34,000 for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and 15,000 for surrendered Maoists, under various central schemes. He said that in the education sector, the government plans to establish Education City and Science City in Nava Raipur, alongside the National Forensic Sciences University and National Institute of Electronics and IT. Skill development centers are also being set up across all 32 blocks of Bastar. A new startup policy aims to support 150 startups and engage 50,000 students across 100 technical institutes. The CM said that infrastructure development is also a major focus. The Bodhghat Multipurpose Project, with a ₹50,000 crore investment, will generate 200 MW of electricity and expand irrigation to 7 lakh hectares. Plans include new rail lines, expressways, and solar initiatives under the PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana. The state has attracted investment proposals worth over ₹6.65 lakh crore. Sai also highlighted women-centric schemes like the Mahatari Vandana Yojana, providing ₹1,000 per month to 70 lakh women, with over ₹11,700 crore already disbursed. The CM said that on the cultural front, the state will establish a Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum, increase pensions for artists and writers, and promote Bastar tourism and homestays. Environmental initiatives include planting 3.5 crore saplings and expanding forest cover by 683 sq km under the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign. Concluding his address, CM Sai urged citizens to commit to building a self-reliant and developed Chhattisgarh, inspired by the ideals of leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. "With people's participation, we will surely achieve the goal of a developed Chhattisgarh and fulfill our vision for a free, prosperous, and self-reliant state," he said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
India.com
6 days ago
- Science
- India.com
Revolutionary Chemical Detection Methods Transform India's Fight Against Explosive Threats
Revolutionary Chemical Detection Methods Transform India's Fight Against Explosive Threats Dr. Himali Upadhyay's supramolecular technology breakthrough offers field-ready solutions as forensic experts develop techniques for new criminal laws Advertisement The All India Forensic Science Summit at the National Forensic Sciences University tackles a massive problem in the criminal justice system in India. This summit was organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which acknowledges that despite many initiatives, India continues to struggle with developing and standardising forensics infrastructure and, more broadly, using forensic evidence in courts of law. These specific challenges are raised in the conference: there is a pressing need for modern forensic approaches to terrorism investigations, and current detection methods and verification can be seen as inadequate procedures for the mobilised, quick, and accurate identification of threats required in the security states of today. Dr. Himali Upadhyay is the only academic who has advanced original supramolecular detection systems for explosives that give laboratory-level results in the field, that is suitable for the new forensic needs of India. Her Ph.D. research project synthesised new molecules in the express purpose of recognising explosive compounds by means of a targeted chemical interaction, thus making her the only academically and professionally qualified person to face the rapidly changing detection needs of India with proven, scientifically validated technology. Traditional explosive detection methods have a fundamental limitation with dire implications in security situations: the impossible decision of choosing between accuracy and speed. Of course, laboratory-based methods, as a general family of methodologies, do yield trustworthy outcomes, but only over hours to days. Field tests cannot always provide the required accuracy to substantiate prosecution by the criminal justice system under India's new highly elevated criminal regulations. Advertisement === When Forensic teams are presented with suspicious materials, they must choose whether to trust forensic field tests, which are great at speed but not always completely accurate, or send the material to a laboratory for evidence and analysis, but risk arriving too late to prevent disastrous consequences. 'Conventional approaches frequently require the transport of samples to specialist laboratories, generating delays that can be disastrous in security situations,' says Dr. Upadhyay. 'The challenge for us is developing systems that can provide instant results while maintaining the accuracy we need for a defensible assessment of threats and admissibility in a court of law.' Advertisement === This detection gap is particularly troubling as terrorists' tactics diversify and India's legal framework raises the bar for admissible evidence. The summit's focus on developing 'advanced forensic techniques employed in the investigation of terrorism related crime' can address this urgent need. Supramolecular chemistry provides an entirely new potential. It enables the engineer to design molecules that will recognize and bind to specific explosive compounds, and these supramolecular systems are sophisticated detection devices that will change their properties upon reacting with the target material. Dr. Upadhyay's research has shown how these supramolecular systems perform reliably across various environmental and situational conditions; from urban to remote areas; with each compound detecting explosives regardless of the temperature and humidity. Her analyses demonstrate that molecular recognition with high fidelity can generate identification of explosive compounds, something that was only accessible in laboratories until now. The leap that makes supramolecular chemistry so exciting is the selectivity of the designed molecules. Conventional detection strategies often led to false negatives, thus requiring intricate analyses; however, supramolecular systems will conclusively identify specific target compounds. This is especially important for evidentiary thresholds demonstrated in new criminal laws in India. Her dissertation was widely regarded in the forensic science literature and included presentations at six major conferences to illustrate scientific credibility and support the viability of supramolecular systems for real-world security applications. Dr. Upadhyay's molecular recognition framework is further validated by her recent success in obtaining government funding. Her annual USDA grant of $61,000 supports work unlike anything done anywhere in the world: developing comprehensive odour profiles for dogs to detect invasive species. 'We are identifying volatile organic compounds from snail mucus to develop the odour profile of giant African snails for training dogs,' Dr. Upadhyay states. 'This project is the first time that anyone has ever attempted comprehensive biological detection profiling and uses the same molecular identification principles used in my explosive detection work.' Dr. Upadhyay works at Florida International University, which has moved up 84 spots in public university rankings in the past ten years. The university's rapid rise provides her with excellent access to cutting-edge facilities that allow for high-level analytical work and to collaborators and resources that expand her research capabilities. New forensic technologies require effective training in order to gain acceptance in the courtroom. A successful training program should cover how the technology works and how to interpret the results, including how the results can be incorporated into existing practices. All three aspects will also help to ensure that practitioners are using the technology in a correct manner that is consistent with the practices and objectives of India's criminal laws. Like the training mentioned above, modules for quality control and standardising the supramolecular detection process are necessary to ensure proper evidence of quality and admissibility. Dr. Upadhyay's supramolecular detection is the operational technological foundation for law enforcement agencies to assign to crime scene detection situations, represented in crime scenes and for national security goals.
News18
02-08-2025
- News18
NFSU inks MoU with CRCL to enhance inter-agency coordination in drugs cases
Ahmedabad, Aug 2 (PTI) Gandhinagar-based National Forensic Sciences University on Saturday signed an MoU with Central Revenues Control Laboratory to enhance inter-agency coordination and strengthen enforcement mechanisms in cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The MoU is expected to significantly bolster the country's capacity to investigate and prosecute NDPS Act violations, the NFSU said in a statement. 'The collaboration will also facilitate specialised training programs for forensic professionals and law enforcement personnel, as well as research initiatives aimed at staying ahead of evolving drug trends," it said. view comments First Published: August 02, 2025, 17:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Goa researchers develop low-cost method to isolate DNA from soil
Panaji: In an achievement that could help resolve human and wildlife crime, researchers from the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Goa campus, have developed a system to help authorities isolate DNA from soil samples in human and wildlife cases cost-effectively. NFSU faculty member Abhishek Singh, who led the research, said that this new method 'has the potential to be a game-changer in soil forensics, wildlife crime investigation, and environmental DNA (eDNA) studies'. NFSU Goa director Naveen Kumar Chaudhary said that this 'major innovation will significantly reduce the pendency of cases in India and make the investigations time and cost-effective'. Explaining how the new method will work, he said, 'The patented scientific procedure proposed by the NFSU Goa faculty will cut down the time required to extract the DNA from the soil samples and make the entire investigation more scientific and rapid'. This international patient was granted to the NFSU for an invention titled 'A system for isolating high-quality metagenomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from soil samples'. The invention was developed by Suchitra J S, Ashwin Edakkara, and Bhaskar Pandey, students of MSc forensic science and BSc MSc forensic science (integrated). The team was led by assistant professor Sweta Nidhi and Singh, who is coordinator and in charge of the centre for wildlife forensics (CWF), NFSU Goa. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo by Taboola by Taboola The research work started in Feb 2024 and took one year to conceptualise, execute, and patent. Soil samples were collected from several parts of India, including Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, covering all eight types of soil present in the subcontinent. The physical characteristics of the soil samples were recorded and processed for DNA isolation, and the standardisation and validation of the system took almost half a year. The extraction system is a German patent and will be accessible globally upon request.
Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Indian Express
One year of new criminal laws: Chandigarh Police registers over 3,000 FIRs
As the new criminal laws — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) — complete one year of implementation, Chandigarh has registered a total of 3,154 FIRs under the new framework, including 1,459 e-FIRs. Of these cases, 758 chargesheets have been filed, and 78 cases have been decided, with 71 convictions — marking a 'remarkable' 91.1 per cent conviction rate in the city, police said. Chandigarh was the first state/ UT in the country to fully implement the trio of reformed criminal laws and has emerged as a leading example of technology-driven, transparent, and citizen-centric policing. Over the past year, the city police undertook a comprehensive approach to adapting to the new legal architecture — focusing on capacity-building, forensic enhancement, digital integration, and public engagement. According to the police, more than 6,124 police personnel, including senior officers, SHOs, and investigators, were trained extensively on the new provisions. A group of 29 master trainers was developed, and training modules were conducted in collaboration with judicial academies and law schools. To strengthen investigative capabilities, 14 forensic experts were hired through the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), along with 22 IT specialists through NICSI. Applications such as eSakshya, Nyay Setu, eProsecution, and MedLEaPR have enabled faster, evidence-based policing. The eSakshya platform alone has digitally documented 2,675 pieces of evidence, which are securely stored with geo-tagging and hash verification. AI-based tools like CCTNS Khoji have enhanced suspect tracking, search capabilities, and biometric identification, a Chandigarh police official said. The average time taken for conviction in cases under the new laws has been reduced significantly — from 300 days to just 110 days — reflecting greater speed and efficiency in investigations and trial processes. Five forensic teams now operate round-the-clock, supported by QR code-based evidence tracking systems to maintain chain of custody, the official added.
