Minister Pun Clarifies National Forensic Science Laboratory Bill Focuses on Single Lab

Kathmandu. Minister for Science and Technology Innovation, Mahabir Pun, stated that the National Forensic Science Laboratory Bill is intended for only one laboratory.

Speaking at a discussion with experts in the Education, Health, and Information Technology Committee of the House of Representatives regarding the National Forensic Science Laboratory (Establishment and Operation) Bill, 2081, Minister Pun said that this is a bill to operate one laboratory and not a bill to operate laboratories across Nepal.

Minister Pun said, ‘We do not know everything except the experts. These are very sensitive matters. Experts have studied the bill in depth. Where the budget will come from. That is the government's matter, it will be brought. The bill that has come now is only for the forensic science laboratory. This is a bill to operate one laboratory. It is not a bill to operate laboratories across Nepal.’

He stated that the shortage of human resources in the field of forensic science laboratories in Nepal needs to be addressed.

Minister Pun said, ‘The issue of teaching in universities in India came up. We also have many universities. Should we add it there, or train two or three people a year, or if we send them on scholarships initially by agreement with the Indian government, the financial burden will be less.’

In the discussion, experts stated that criminal investigation and justice delivery systems should be based on scientific and objective evidence, and the need for an independent and capable forensic science laboratory is felt everywhere.

Former Scientific Officer of the National Forensic Science Laboratory, Dr. Om Prakash Sharma, expressed the view that if the age for becoming an executive director candidate is set at 30 or 35 years and the retirement age at 64 or 65 years, then qualified individuals who have just turned 60 years old can also participate in the competition, widening the scope of competition.

Chief of the National Forensic Science Laboratory, Nirajan Thapa, stated that since the laboratory is currently operating under the Laboratory Development Committee Order, it is difficult to acquire land in the provinces.

Chief of the Forensic Medicine Department at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Gopal Chaudhary, said that it should be clear which cases the police will handle and which cases the forensic science will handle. He stated that there is a shortage of human resources related to forensic medicine in Nepal.