DNA profiling bill

Anorion

Sith Lord
Staff member
Admin
This one flew under the radar.

The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018

Union Cabinet clears DNA profiling bill

Activists and civil society stakeholders have criticised the project, saying that the Centre has ignored privacy and security concerns.

 

whitestar_999

Super Moderator
Staff member
DNA profiling is an inevitable tool against crime which will happen sooner or later in any decent country.As for privacy concerns,it shouldn't compare to aadhaar because one needs an infrastructure comparable to US/China to even have sufficient basis for privacy concerns regarding this. As of now even "officially court approved/legitimate investigations" dna tests have a weeks/months of waiting period(& this is when numbers are in two/smaller three digits).
 

Desmond

Destroy Erase Improve
Staff member
Admin
As much as this would be invaluable, I simply cannot believe that law enforcement agencies in India will operate in good faith.
From the article:
For example, the CDFD already asks for the caste of the suspect during the collection of the DNA sample.
This is clearly for creating a DNA profiles for castes so that they can identify the castes of people using their DNA, even if the foremost goal is to help law enforcement.
 

whitestar_999

Super Moderator
Staff member
As much as this would be invaluable, I simply cannot believe that law enforcement agencies in India will operate in good faith.
From the article:

This is clearly for creating a DNA profiles for castes so that they can identify the castes of people using their DNA, even if the foremost goal is to help law enforcement.
This is scientifically not possible,at best DNA can tell how much % of african,asian,native american etc dna is there but to draw definite conclusions from it is again very difficult.
 
OP
Anorion

Anorion

Sith Lord
Staff member
Admin
The bill has been introduced before any comprehensive regulations on data protection, which is important before any such laws are introduced. It also allows authorities to collect and store information on junk or non-coding DNA which is not in line with international best practices.
Also, this has to be seen in the light of everything else that is going on.

Surveillance state is a reality now
Future of freedom
 

whitestar_999

Super Moderator
Staff member
Does Indian govt has the technical capability to store hundreds of thousands(if not millions) of DNA samples & their analysis: No
Will Indian govt have this capability 50-100 years in the future: Maybe
Will someone come up with a way to extract DNA even from a person's breath in a public area using some nano drone in next 50-100years: Maybe
Will all the privacy laws in the world can help a nation whose people elect their leaders based on freebies,caste & religion: Definitely No.

Case Closed.
 

Desmond

Destroy Erase Improve
Staff member
Admin
IMO regardless of capabilities, just the idea of this is pretty appaling.

Edit: At least the public will learn something about DNA while this news is getting air time.
 

whitestar_999

Super Moderator
Staff member
IMO regardless of capabilities, just the idea of this is pretty appaling.

Edit: At least the public will learn something about DNA while this news is getting air time.
Don't count much on that. Indian public's attention is quite fickle when it comes to serious science stuff like this.
 
OP
Anorion

Anorion

Sith Lord
Staff member
Admin
Yeah, this is barely receiving any coverage at all, and it is difficult to search because DNA is a media house
Was watching the debate in parliament, cannot even find the video where Shashi Tharoor argued against its introduction, where he raised some problems with it. The other members of the Parliament where all clueless what he was talking about, because he was talking about stuff like coding and non coding section of the DNA. Their expressions was like okay now we have to listen to this guy speak and not understand anything till he shuts up.
 
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