Rakesh Kochhar
CHARLES-Edward Amory Winslow says public health is “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed cho
Summary: Jairam Ramesh Committee Report on DNA Technology Regulation Bill, 2019
February 11, 2021
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, headed by Congress’ Jairam Ramesh, has flagged that the DNA Technology Bill 2019 could be misused “to target certain sections of society”. The Committee, which submitted its report to Parliament on February 1, also suggested changes to the composition of the DNA Regulatory Board, and flagged concerns with having databases of DNA profiles of suspects and undertrials, apart from several making several other recommendations.
The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019, aims to establish the identity of victims, offenders, undertrials, missing people, and unknown dead people, as well as of suspects and undertrials. It proposes a DNA Regulatory Board to address concerns around quality, security, and accuracy of data. The Board will advise the central and state governments on labs and data banks, lay do