The Gujarat government has decided to establish a state-run Forensic Science University in Gandhinagar. The government will present a Bill in this regard during the three-day monsoon session of the Assembly beginning September 25. The new university will start functioning from the next academic year.

A senior official in the state Home Department said on Wednesday that a state-of-the art building will be constructed on the 20,000 sq mt land adjacent to the present Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) premises in Sector 9 in Gandhinagar. The government has sanctioned the land for the construction of the university building free of cost.

"An amount of Rs 2 crore has already been earmarked under the budgetary head of FSL for the university. Work on the educational institute will start soon after the Bill is passed in the Assembly. By the time a new building for the university comes up, it will start functioning from the existing premises of the FSL Directorate," the official said.

The university will offer a three-year B.Sc course and a two-year M.Sc course in Forensic Science. The forensic science-related subjects to be taught at the university include cyber crimes, ballistic science, besides physics and chemistry.Initially, the first batch comprising 25-30 students will be admitted to the university. The teaching faculty will be recruited from the State Directorate, FSL and also other institutes in the country.

FSL Director J M Vyas told Newsline that the main objective behind setting up the university is to meet the increasing demand for forensic science experts in Gujarat and elsewhere in the country.In addition, the university will create employment opportunities for youths, especially in the police department and judiciary, he said. He added that even serving police officers will get a chance to study forensic science at the university.

Meanwhile, sources said there is a staff shortage of about 30 per cent staff in the state FSL Directorate and its four regional labs in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Junagadh. The government is in the process of setting up a regional laboratory in Rajkot, too, they added."When the Forensic Science University becomes fully operational, it will help solve the present staff crunch," sources said.