The DNA Technology (Use and application) Regulation Bill 2019

The DNA Technology (Use and application) Regulation Bill 2019

News: Government has withdrawn The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill 2019 from the Lok Sabha.

Background:
• You can refer to the key provisions of the Bill here https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-dna-technology-useand application-regulation-bill-2019

What is the DNA Technology Regulation bill?
• The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha in 2019.
• The Bill provides for the regulation of use of DNA technology for establishing the identity of certain persons.
• The Bill was referred to the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology. The committee submitted its report in 2021 recommending several changes in the draft.

Why was the Bill withdrawn?
• The Bill was withdrawn by the Lok Sabha recently because most of its provisions were already covered in another law that was passed last year. The other law is the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022, which also deals with the use of DNA technology for identification purposes in the criminal justice system.
• The DNA Bill had faced opposition from various quarters on the grounds of the accuracy of DNA technology, potential threats to individual privacy, and the possibility of abuse.
• The critics have pointed out that the Act has not created a national DNA data bank or a regulatory body for overseeing DNA testing activities as the Bill had suggested.