Guwahati, August 8: In a path-breaking move, the Government of Assam has recognized the pioneering Wildlife Genetics Laboratory (WGL) of Aaranyak and its Director Udayan Borthakur, for the purpose of utilising the expertise in wildlife genetics and wildlife forensic analysis, pursuant to Section 329 (4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
This marks the first recognition of a laboratory and an expert in the wildlife sector under the BNSS, 2023 in Assam for the purpose of assisting wildlife crime investigations and control through forensic evidence gathering using DNA sampling methods.
Following an order from the Governor of Assam on August 4, 2025, the Special Chief Secretary of the Govt. of Assam, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department has issued a notification recognising the laboratory and Borthakur under the relevant provision of the Act.
Reacting to the landmark achievement, Udayan Borthakur, the founder of WGL, Aaranyak, stated, “We regard the Government’s notification as a significant acknowledgement of our nearly two decades of work in this field. We also regard this notification as a significant responsibility that falls on our shoulders, and we are grateful of the Government of Assam for entrusting us with this critical responsibility.”
Borthakur says that the notification under Section 329 (4) of BNSS, 2023 will allow the lab and its biologist as scientific expert to support law enforcement agencies to gather evidence for forensic analysis in wildlife offences that will facilitate increased conviction rates in coming days.
Dr. Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, Secretary General and Executive Director, Aaranyak offers his sincere sense of gratitude to Assam Forest Department and the competent authority in Assam Government for bestowing faith and responsibilities to Wildlife Genetics facilities of Aaranyak that has been complimenting the efforts of the government to achieve conservation goals and shall continue to do so in years to come.
WGL Aaranyak, founded in 2008, is northeast India’s only conservation genetics and wildlife DNA forensics facility. Over the past decade, the lab has provided genetic analysis and on-ground DNA sampling support to 135 wildlife crime investigations by government authorities. In addition to forensic work, the lab has conducted over two dozen conservation genetic research projects on threatened wildlife species in India and overseas.
Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org), is a premier research-driven biodiversity conservation non-profit organisation that has been relentlessly working for conservation and nature and biodiversity in the Northeast India in particular and some other areas of the country for the last 35 years.