In a first of its kind, DNA testing facilities are being set up at forensic science laboratories in the three north-eastern states of Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, officials said on Saturday.
This facility is being implemented 13 states and union territories of India including the three north-eastern states at a cost of Rs 131.09 crore.
As a part of the Rs 223.19 crore Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children project, cyber forensic laboratories and cyber forensic training facilities are being set up in these states and union territories.
According to reports, a total of 3664 personnel including 410 public prosecutors and judicial officers have been trained for the purpose.
The project is being implemented under Nirbhaya Fund, a scheme of the Central Government which support initiatives designed for empowerment, safety and security of women and girl children.
An empowered committee of officers, headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, apprises and recommends projects to be funded under the Nirbhaya Fund.
The empowered committee also reviews and monitors the progress of the schemes/ projects. Once it is recommended by the committee, the Ministry/Department concerned has to take approval of the competent authority.
Among the northeastern states, Arunachal Pradesh is the only one where a cyber forensic training laboratory has been set up.
The other states to have such laboratories include Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Uttarakhand
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 12,187 cyber crime cases were registered across India in 2016 in comparison to 11,331 cases in 2015.
There was a 20.5 per cent increase in the number of cyber crime cases in 2015 over 2014 and 6.3 per cent increase in such cases in 2016 over 2015.