Guwahati, March 30: Pursuant to Section 329 (4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023,
the Government of Meghalaya has notified the Wildlife Genetics Laboratory (WGL) of Aaranyak and its
Director in a significant move.
The purpose of this notification is to leverage the expertise in wildlife genetics and wildlife forensic
DNA analysis.
In Meghalaya, this marks the first recognition of a laboratory and an expert in the wildlife sector under the
BNSS, 2023 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 Meghalaya on March 24, 2026, Mr. M.K.B. Reddy, IFS, the
Principal Secretary of the Govt. of Meghalaya, Forest and Environment Department has issued the
notification.
The BNSS, 2023 marks a major shift towards scientific policing in India by mandating the use of forensic
investigation in serious crimes. It requires forensic experts to examine crime scenes and collect evidence in
offences punishable with seven years or more of imprisonment, along with audiovisual documentation of
procedures.
This transforms forensics from a discretionary tool into a legal obligation, aiming to improve evidence
quality, transparency, and conviction rates while reducing reliance on confessions.
Mr. Udayan Borthakur, Director of the facility at Aaranyak, expressed his gratitude to the Forest and
Environment Department of Meghalaya for entrusting him and WGL with this critical responsibility, stating,
“We regard the Government of Meghalaya’s notification as a significant step towards expanding our
assistance in wildlife crime investigations in the state,” in response to the landmark achievement.
Borthakur asserts that the lab and its scientific expert will be able to assist law enforcement agencies in the
collection of evidence for forensic analysis in wildlife offenses, which will result in increased conviction
rates in the near future, as a result of the notifications issued by the Government of Meghalaya and the prior
notification issued by the Government of Assam in this regard.
It is worth mentioning that similar recognition was accorded to Aaranyak’s WGL and its expert by the
Government of Assam last year under the BNSS 2023.
WGL Aaranyak, which was established in 2008, is the sole conservation genetics and wildlife DNA
forensics facility in northeast India. The laboratory has been a source of support for government authorities
conducting nearly two hundred wildlife crime investigations over the past decade, providing genetic analysis
and on-site DNA sampling.
Additionally, to forensic work, the laboratory has implemented over twenty-two conservation genetic
research initiatives on endangered wildlife species in India and abroad.
[For more information on Aaranyak’s contribution in the field of conservation genetics, kindly visit –
www.wildlifegeneticslab.in. For further information on Wildlife Genetics Laboratory (WGL) of Aaranyak
and its work, kindly contact Udayan Borthakur, Director & Head, Wildlife Genetics Division, Aaranyak
through email ([email protected]) or telephone (9435728717)]
