The Indian government has informed the Supreme Court that it intends to create a database of DNA profiles that would be used to identify unclaimed bodies and help find missing persons, reports Mail Online India. A bill to formalise this database is currently in the pipeline. The government provided this information in its response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the NGO Lokniti Foundation. The report notes that 37,193 unidentified bodies were recovered and inquests conducted as per Census 2012 data (last census). DNA profiles of such unidentified bodies will be generated, and a second database will be created using DNA from relatives of the reported missing persons. DNA profiles of these two databases will then be cross-referenced. Note that this isn’t the first time we are hearing about the DNA Profiling Bill. It was first mooted by lawmakers in 2007, and then again in 2012 by the UPA government who had states plans of introducing it in Parliament. At the time, a The Economic Times report had suggested that a pool of DNA profiles of crime offenders would be created to make crime detection more effective. Offenders included persons involved in a civil or criminal case, and even suspects. Persons, who underwent abortion, were fighting paternity suits or were receivers and/or donors of organs were also included. However, based on what the current government has told the Supreme court, crime detection isn’t the focus any more. That being said, if the government wants to create a comprehensive database, collecting DNA samples from unidentified bodies and from relatives of missing…
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