Beyond crime scenes: Forensic education advancing justice and cybersecurity

Forensics, the application of scientific methods and principles to enable decision making in criminal cases, has evolved beyond the crime scenes. Today, we see it as a discipline that can strengthen the fabric of modern society as it can support law enforcement, cybersecurity, corporate transparency, and ultimately lead to ethical governance. We often come across cases of financial fraud, data breaches, and digital breaches; there is an increase in demand for forensic experts who can decode evidence not just at physical but also in virtual space as well. Thus, modern courses need to be skill-based, preparing students to adapt to the evolving landscape by blending science and technology using investigative thinking.

In India, forensic education has grown significantly in the last 10 years. The field has expanded since 2010, when nine universities offered forensic degrees. Since 2009, ten National Forensic Sciences Universities (NFSUs) have been established, with expansion increasing since 2020. Additionally, forensic science courses have been added at approximately 165 private colleges and universities. Nonetheless, a 40.3 per cent vacancy rate for scientific positions has been observed in 26 forensic laboratories.
India has 806 districts, 27 state forensic science labs, 80 or more regional FSLs, and 9 CFSLs. In such a large population, figuring out how many forensic labs and colleges we need can be quite tricky. We really need to ramp up the number of specialized institutes to keep up with the growing number and complexity of cases.

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Universities must provide a multifaceted strategy to solve this. First, we can immediately cover the laboratories by providing paid internships to students who have undergone rigorous training. Secondly, placing the skilled graduates in long-term roles creates capacity over time. Third, hiring retired forensic specialists could offer temporary protection. We have the opportunity to enhance the forensic capabilities of labs across the nation and tackle the challenge of finding qualified specialists to staff these facilities. By forming strong partnerships with universities and private organisations, we can ensure that all authorised positions are filled in a timely and efficient manner.

We can create a robust pool of professionals by collaborating with institutions and universities working toward skill-based education. There is a special emphasis needed for practical forensic training. This will ensure that the country’s forensic infrastructure keeps pace with the steadily mounting demands of justice and scientific precision. Attention now needs to be directed at scaling up such institutions with qualified instructors and robust infrastructure to meet the growing demand for forensic professionals.

The universities that provide skill-oriented education can collaborate with the state police. Such a pioneering collaboration will provide students with unsurpassed practical exposure and stand as a milestone in connecting academics with law enforcement. At state-of-the-art labs and police stations, forensic sciences students will engage directly with real-life cases, progressing from theoretical simulations to practical situations that cultivate employable skills. This partnership gives the state police new talent.
Another problem that we may face on this path is the availability of qualified faculty. In order to overcome the lack of properly qualified professors in forensic science, one can propose PhD-qualified academics to teach at the university level, while also utilising experienced scientists, physicians, and retired law enforcement officers as visiting or adjunct faculty to provide exposure to real-world experiences.

Simultaneously, we must invest in faculty development programs to develop young faculty’s rigour in the laboratory and research training/support. In order to maintain unwavering standards of quality in our educational programs, strategic international collaborations and the use of virtual labs can support both short-term and long-term strategies to guarantee that students have the chance to interact with instructors who possess the educational background and practical experience in the field of forensic science.
Those who look beyond generic courses and realise that the workforce needs people who already have practical knowledge of their disciplines have a bright future. Both the industry and the students benefit from this strategy. And this approach will enable forensic education to help in cybersecurity.

(The writer is Vice Chancellor, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha)