Education Minister honours officials as Forensic Dept observes 38th Raising Day

Education Minister Rohit Thakur presided over the 38th Raising Day celebrations of the Directorate of Forensics Services (DFS), Himachal Pradesh, at the historic Gaiety Theatre in Shimla on Sunday. He conferred awards on forensic experts and other officials in recognition of their noble contributions.

The minister awarded the Himachal forensic medal for distinguished services and the Himachal forensic medal for meritorious services to Nasib Singh Patial and Dr Ajay Singh Rana, respectively. Similarly, Dr Ashwani Bhardwaj was honoured with the quality management system award, Dr Naresh Sharma received the scene of crime management award, and Kapil Sharma was recognised for crime case analysis in the laboratory.

He also conferred awards for outstanding achievements by children which included certificate of excellence in art (painting) to Atulya Sahajpal, certificate of excellence in sports (chess) to Saanvi Parihar and certificate of excellence in grappling (wrestling) to Bhavya Awasthi. Also, Hemraj was recognised as the best forensic official in supporting forensic services, while Om Prakash was named the best forensic official in supporting administrative services for their exceptional contributions to forensics.

Lauding the DFS’s for its performance, the minister said between January 1 and November 30, the state FSL Junga, RFSL Dharamsala, and RFSL Mandi collectively received 12,209 cases for forensic examination, issuing 12,120 forensic reports conforming to international standards.

He said the district forensic units at Baddi, Bilaspur and Nurpur visited and processed evidence from 234 crime scenes, providing crucial leads in major investigations. “Forensic experts also conducted 526 crime scene examinations, significantly strengthening investigative support for police and other agencies in the state” said Thakur.

Dr Meenakshi Mahajan, Director of Forensics Services, who delivered the keynote address on the occasion also highlighted the DFS’s major achievements, technological advancements and national recognitions. She emphasised the critical role of scientific evidence in ensuring fairness, accuracy and efficiency in the criminal justice system.

The Raising Day lecture was delivered by Prof Priti Saxena, Vice-Chancellor, Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla, on the legal significance of forensic science and its integration with the new justice framework.

Reflecting on the legacy of the DFS, Dr Mahajan highlighted its journey since the establishment of the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) on December 13, 1988. “Initially serving police, Vigilance and CID, the institution gradually expanded its expertise to the judiciary, banks, universities and other government departments. Beginning with two divisions—Biology and Serology and Chemistry and Toxicology—operating from temporary barracks at Bharari, the laboratory shifted to Junga in 1996, where the Documents and Photography and Physics and Ballistics divisions were added by 2000,” she said.

She further said that administrative control was brought under the Home Department in 2005, marking a significant step toward scientific autonomy. “This was followed by a major expansion in 2006 with the creation of DNA and NDPS divisions and the establishment of Regional Forensic Science Laboratories at Dharamsala and Mandi,” said Mahajan.