Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) at Sri Vijaya Puram on 03 January 2026. The meeting focused on the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), underscoring the government’s push to deliver time-bound, technology-driven justice following the enactment of three new criminal laws.
Time-Bound Justice Vision: FIR to Supreme Court in Three Years
Addressing the committee, Amit Shah said the reforms driven by the leadership of Narendra Modi aim to ensure that justice is delivered within three years—from FIR to the Supreme Court—by 2029. He noted that the MHA has been undertaking 360-degree monitoring since 2022 to ensure seamless implementation and to plug gaps across the justice delivery chain.
Forensics at the Core of Criminal Justice Reform
The Home Minister highlighted that although the new criminal laws came into force in July 2024, groundwork for forensic integration began as early as 2020. The results are now visible:
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Faster investigations and higher conviction rates
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Sentencing milestones, including death penalty within 62 days in a West Bengal case and sentencing within 50 days in a triple murder case in Bihar
He said these outcomes demonstrate the transformative impact of forensic-led investigations.
₹30,000 Crore Investment for Nationwide Forensic Infrastructure
Amit Shah announced that the Centre and States will invest ₹30,000 crore over the next five years to build a comprehensive network of forensic laboratories. By 2029, every State and Union Territory will have either a forensic university or a CFSL, ensuring uniform standards and nationwide coverage. Grants of nearly ₹1,000 crore have already been provided to strengthen State FSLs, forensic vans, and regional labs.
From Zero Labs to 1,000 Mobile Forensic Units
Highlighting rapid capacity expansion, the Home Minister said that in 2021 there were no mobile forensic labs, whereas today the number has reached 1,000. Forensic reports will now be sent directly to courts, with copies to police—strengthening the Chain of Custody and reducing procedural delays.
Modernising the Five Pillars of Justice
The Modi government has fully modernised all five pillars—police, courts, prisons, forensics, and prosecution—with an emphasis on digitisation, interoperability, and analytics. Key reforms include:
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e-FIR and Zero FIR, providing major relief to the poor and women
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e-Summons and e-Sakshya to support technology-backed proceedings
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Mandatory forensic visits in crimes punishable with seven years or more
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Trial in Absentia to curb flight of accused persons
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Clear legal definitions of cybercrime, organised crime, terrorism, and digital fraud, reducing judicial grey areas
National Databases and Crime Mapping
Amit Shah said that by November 2025, all police stations were brought online via CCTNS, with every FIR available on a central server. He outlined the scale of digital integration:
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22,000 courts connected through e-Courts
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2.2 crore prisoners’ data on e-Prisons
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~2 crore prosecution cases on e-Prosecution
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30.54 lakh cases on e-Forensics
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1.21 crore fingerprints on NAFIS
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Separate recording of UAPA terrorism cases in the NIA database
A Modus Operandi Bureau will soon be established for advanced crime mapping.
NFSU: Skills, Innovation and Global Collaboration
The Home Minister said NFSU has achieved 100% placement and will produce 35,000 forensic experts by 2029. The university has:
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Established 14 campuses
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Run 100+ training programmes
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Trained 16,000+ officers in four years, with plans to triple capacity
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Registered 46 patents (30 in 2024 alone)
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Signed 103 MoUs with 96 countries and agreements with 117 Indian organisations
Indigenous forensic kits for narcotics, sexual assault, cybercrime, and food testing developed by NFSU are already proving effective.
AI, Mission-Mode Disposal and the Road Ahead
Amit Shah said the government’s next phase focuses on AI-based forensic analysis, mission-mode disposal of pending cases, continuous software upgrades, and the development of forensic intelligence—all aimed at making justice faster, fairer, and more transparent.
Conclusion
The Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting at Sri Vijaya Puram reaffirmed the government’s resolve to anchor India’s criminal justice system in forensic science, technology, and accountability. With massive investments, nationwide infrastructure, skilled manpower through NFSU, and data-driven policing, the new criminal laws are set to deliver time-bound justice by 2029, marking a paradigm shift in India’s justice delivery architecture.
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Source: PIB
