The government has proposed that a postgraduate degree should be the minimum qualification for forensic science experts to prevent errors in criminal investigations.
During a meeting of Education, Health and Information Technology Committee on Wednesday, government proposed this while discussing National Forensic Science Laboratory (Establishment and Operation) Bill, 2081. Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mahabir Pun, shared this proposal on behalf of the government.
Why Higher Qualification is Needed
Minister Pun said that in past, a Bachelor’s degree was considered a big educational achievement. But today, with the fast development of science and technology, a Master’s degree has become necessary for expert work. He warned that forensic science is a very sensitive area, and relying on unskilled manpower could lead to serious mistakes in investigations and court decisions.
The minister also said we need to expand scope of evidence collection. He suggested to legally recognizing digital evidence alongside chemical, physical, and biological evidence to solve digital crimes.
No Compromise on Quality
According to Minister Pun, an expert must be someone who actually knows the subject deeply. He added that if there is lack of skilled manpower, government should arrange special study and training to prepare new experts, but they should not compromise on minimum educational qualification.
He also talked about the training for experts. He said normal training should not be the basis. Only special training taken from recognized universities or certified institutions must be validated. Lastly, he suggested that forensic science should always be handled by the ministry that looks after science and technology, even if names of ministries change in Nepal.
AI Disclaimer: This article was originally published on https://bajarkochirfar.com. It has been translated with the help of AI. For the best understanding and accurate facts, we recommend reading the original Nepali version.
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