Guwahati, June 27: The Assam government on Tuesday inked two memorandums of understanding (MoU) with the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, aimed at forging collaboration in the field of forensic sciences, healthcare and diagnostics.
The MoUs were signed in the presence of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Janata Bhawan here.
Principal secretary, home and political, Niraj Verma on behalf of the Assam government, and K. Thangaraj on behalf of the CDFD, signed the agreement for collaboration in the field of forensic sciences.
Commissioner and secretary, medical education and research, Siddharth Singh signed the MoU on behalf of the state government with CDFD in the fields of healthcare and diagnostic services to facilitate joint initiatives for research programmes, academic programmes and workshops, supervision and exchange of students and patient care services.
Speaking on the occasion, chief minister Sarma said the state government’s understanding with the CDFD would have a far-reaching impact in building a crime-free, secured and healthy society in the state.
Thanking the CDFD for entering into agreement, he said that the Assam government, in its bid to make the state crime free, has initiated measures to bolster forensic science infrastructure.
Referring to the Guwahati campus of National Forensic Science University in north Guwahati, for which foundation stone was recently laid by Union home minister Amit Shah, the chief minister said that the campus besides empowering the state in forensic science would also provide training and skill development to the police, judiciary and forensic scientists.
Sarma also said that as a part of the MoU on forensic sciences, CDFD would provide DNA profiling training for human identification purposes to the scientific and technical staff of the Directorate of Forensic Science, Assam.
He also said that as a part of the understanding there would be training and sensitisation programmes in areas such as evidence collection, handling and transportation methods, chain of custody, quality control and quality assurance issues, etc.
He said that the arrangement would also demonstrate the value of technology for the criminal justice delivery system in the state.
Sarma also said that the MoU on healthcare and diagnostic services would help in joint research programmes wherein faculty from both Assam government and CDFD could collaborate on projects based on mutual interests.
“The agreement will be immensely helpful for Ph.D. students as scholars from Assam can be co-supervised by faculty members from CDFD. Both the Assam government and CDFD will facilitate the visit of their respective faculty and students to engage in scientific research and training,” he said.
The chief minister further requested the CDFD to set up a centre in Assam to meet the needs of all Northeastern states.