{"id":80885,"date":"2021-02-06T19:00:56","date_gmt":"2021-02-06T13:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=80885"},"modified":"2021-07-30T20:02:32","modified_gmt":"2021-07-30T14:32:32","slug":"dna-technology-regulation-bill-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/dna-technology-regulation-bill-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Introduced<\/strong>: Lok Sabha (8th July 2019)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Present status<\/strong>: Standing Committee gave its report on 3rd Feb 2021<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Ministry<\/strong>: Science and Technology and Earth Sciences<\/p>\n<p><b>Need for such DNA Technology Bill in India:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>First<\/strong>, countries having such legislation like the USA, have proved a <strong>significant increase in conviction rate<\/strong>. According to NCRB, India\u2019s <strong>conviction rate is 48.8% only in 2017. <\/strong>The conviction rate can improve significantly if the DNA Bill is enacted in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Second,<\/b>\u00a0 in India, <strong>Each<\/strong><b> year more than 4000 FIRs filed for not recognising the victim\u2019s body. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only that, <\/span>In India <b>around 175 persons missing each day.\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0The bill will help in identifying them very easily with scientific intrastate co-operation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Third<\/strong>, the Bill will come in handy during the <strong>parental disputes resolution<\/strong>. The Bill can also <\/span><b>establish the identity of missing children and baby-swapping cases in hospitals.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Fourth, <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>accurate and faster investigation of crime<\/strong> is feasible. <\/span><\/b>Since the Bill <b>maintains a database for convicts and suspects,<\/b> the crime scene investigation will completely be based on scientific principles<b>. This can result in a faster and accurate investigation<\/b> by police officers.<\/li>\n<li><b>Fifth, <\/b>the Bill will <b>help in research works in DNA<\/b> and also <b>create employment opportunities for skilled manpower and other non-skilled jobs.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"content-box-green\"><b>Significance of DNA technology:<\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"content-box-green\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DNA analysis is <\/span><b>extremely useful and accurate. <\/b>DNA analysis <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can ascertain the identity of a person from his\/her DNA sample. The DNA sample can also establish biological relationships between individuals.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, A hair sample or blood stains from clothes taken from a scene of the crime can clearly establish whether the DNA in the sample belongs to the suspected individual or not.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, DNA technology is being <\/span>increasingly relied upon in<b> investigations of crime, identification of unidentified bodies, or in determining parentage, etc<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><b>Key provisions of the DNA Technology Bill, 2019:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">T<\/span>he Bill mentions the <b>situations under which DNA Data will be used.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Under the Bill, <\/span><b>DNA testing is allowed <\/b><b>only in respect of 4 matters.\u00a0<\/b>They are,\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For offences under the Indian Penal Code, 1860.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Civil disputes and other civil matters related to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">paternity suits, or to identify abandoned children<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offences under certain special legislations<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like Immoral Trafficking prevention Act, MTP Act etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medical negligence or <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unidentified human remains.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>While preparing<\/strong> a DNA profile, bodily substances of persons may be collected by the investigating authorities. There are certain conditions mentioned under which the DNA will be collected.\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li>Like,\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For arrested persons, if the offence carries a punishment of up to seven years<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. C<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">onsent is needed to collect the DNA sample<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the offence carries more than seven years of imprisonment or death, consent is not required<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>The Act establishes the DNA Data Bank.<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The data banks will be established at the <strong>National and regional level. <\/strong>At the regional level, the data bank will be established for every state or two or more states<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 <\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li>The Bill states that the <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>criteria for entry, retention or removal of the DNA profile<\/strong> will be specified by regulations<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><b>The Bill provides that the information contained in the crime scenes will be retained.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>The Bill also establishes a <strong>DNA<\/strong> Regulatory Board.<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This DNA Regulatory Board will <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">supervise the DNA Data Banks and DNA Laboratories<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, will be the ex officio Chairperson<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the Board.\u00a0 <\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>The Bill also has a provision of <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mandatory accreditation from the Board to establish <strong>DNA<\/strong> Laboratories in India. <\/span>The Board may revoke the accreditation for reasons<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> such as failure to <\/span>undertake DNA testing or the non-compliance of DNA Lab with the conditions attached to the accreditation.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>Arguments against the Bill:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>First<\/strong>, concerns <strong>regarding the collection of DNA itself<\/strong>. DNA is the base of any individual person. DNA not only not<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0just <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reveal<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> how a person looks, or what their eye colour or skin colour is. It will also reveal <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more intrusive information like their allergies, or susceptibility to diseases etc<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Second<\/strong>, the collection of DNA has also seen as a <strong>v<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>iolation of two Fundamental Rights<\/strong>. Such as Right to Privacy under Article 21 and Right against self-discrimination under Article 23. The Bill is also seen as a violation of the <strong>Universal Declaration of Human Rights.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Third, science advances more quickly than law.<\/b> Scientific laws if legislated, they <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">need frequent course corrections to prevent misuse. In India, there are few legislations which are being used for centuries without any amendments. Failure to bring the amendment at a necessary stage will create a plethora of problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Fourth<\/strong>, there are <\/span><strong>only 15 DNA profiling labs in India<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><b>DNA Training Academy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> also <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">faces a shortage of manpower. Considering this situation one cannot ensure a smooth implementation like DNA profiling, etc<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Fifth<\/strong>, there is also a <strong>privacy concern<\/strong>. The DNA data can be misused just like other personal information like Cambridge Analytica scandal of Face book. <\/span>For example, <b>the Andhra government signed up with a private firm to collect DNA data from all citizens.\u00a0<\/b>The private firm may misuse the data for profit motives.<\/p>\n<p><b>Lastly,<\/b> there is also a possibility of <strong>Miscarriage<\/strong><b> of Justice. <\/b>Like <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">by planting innocent person DNA in crime scenes to confuse the investigation and <\/span>if a crime scene is occurred in commonplace then many innocent might be harassed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Arguments favors DNA technology Bill:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>First<\/strong>, there will be<strong> no racial and communal profiling possible<\/strong>. The government mentions it will store very limited information in the DNA profile. That is just 17 sets of information (from the billions of information available in DNA sample). This will not reveal any personal data about an individual.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Second<\/strong>, DNA tests are already happening without any regulatory safeguards. The PSC in its recent report mentions the importance of the DNA Bill to bring the DNA tests into the ambit of the law.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Third<\/strong>, an <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>individual&#8217;s privacy <\/strong>is ensured in the Bill. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bill has very specific provisions for the collection of DNA data. The DNA is not collected from common people and it is collected from the convicts and missing person. The PSC also supported the view in its recent report.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Way forward:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>First<\/strong>, the law would be <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">better implemented if the <\/span><b>Data Protection Bill<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> based on the <\/span><b>Sri Krishna Committee<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is passed first.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since the Data Protection Bill fixes the privacy of data protection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Second<\/strong>, there is also a<strong> need for a robust procedure and policy<\/strong> for collection of DNA samples, within the constitutional provisions like respecting Article 21. Apart from that the policy also has to respect the <strong>Universal Declaration of Human Rights.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In conclusion, It is much-needed legislation.\u00a0 If implemented clearly then there going to be the voluntary submission of DNA. But that will be possible if the government enacts the Bill with necessary checks and balances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduced: Lok Sabha (8th July 2019) Present status: Standing Committee gave its report on 3rd Feb 2021 Ministry: Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Need for such DNA Technology Bill in India: First, countries having such legislation like the USA, have proved a significant increase in conviction rate. According to NCRB, India\u2019s conviction rate is&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/dna-technology-regulation-bill-explained\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10311,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[130,1243,9],"tags":[7996,1413],"class_list":["post-80885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7-pm","category-act-and-schemes-new","category-public","tag-bills_policies","tag-st_5","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10311"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80885"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80885\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}