DFSS
Definition
Directorate of Forensic Science Services, India; issues the Forensic Laboratory Manual that governs glass and soil examination procedures, including the bromoform-based density gradient protocol, in DFSS-accredited laboratories.
- Full Name
- Directorate of Forensic Science Services
- Established
- 2003 under the Ministry of Home Affairs
- Role
- Apex coordinating body for central forensic labs and state labs in India
Common questions
What is DFSS and what does it do?+
DFSS is India's Directorate of Forensic Science Services, the apex coordinating body under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It administers the central forensic science infrastructure, runs the seven CFSLs (Central Forensic Science Laboratories), and coordinates with state forensic labs.
How does DFSS affect laboratory procedures?+
DFSS issues the Forensic Laboratory Manual that governs examination procedures in accredited labs. This manual includes protocols for evidence types like glass and soil analysis, such as the bromoform-based density gradient method.
What's the difference between DFSS and other forensic labs?+
DFSS is the central authority that oversees and coordinates the network. The CFSLs are the seven central labs it manages, while SFSLs are state-level labs that coordinate with DFSS. Together they form India's organized forensic infrastructure.
Related terms
- CFSL
- Central Forensic Science Laboratory: a central government lab operating under DFSS. India has CFSLs at New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Pune, Guwahati,...
- SFSL
- State Forensic Science Laboratory: a state-government lab that processes the bulk of routine casework from state and district police. Quality and capacity...
- Anthropometry
- The measurement of the human body for scientific purposes. In forensic history, the Bertillon system of criminal anthropometry used eleven standardised body...
- Forensic Science
- The application of scientific methods and knowledge to questions that arise in legal proceedings. The goal is producing findings that are reliable,...
- GEQD
- Government Examiner of Questioned Documents: the central body for document examination with offices at Shimla and Hyderabad, examining handwriting, ink, paper, and...
- Locard's Exchange Principle
- The foundational idea that every contact between two surfaces moves material in both directions, giving the forensic process its starting premise: physical...
- NAS 2009
- US National Academy of Sciences report that found large parts of pattern-evidence forensics had no validated scientific basis. The reference point for...
- NFSU
- National Forensic Sciences University. Headquartered at Gandhinagar, with campuses spreading across India. Statutory university status since 2020; trains the bulk of new...
- NICFS
- National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science: India's central forensic training institute in New Delhi, running courses for forensic scientists, police, and...
- RFSL
- Regional Forensic Science Laboratory. Sub-state, district or zonal level. Absorbs the SFSL's overflow and handles district-court matters.
- ASTM E2365
- The American Society for Testing and Materials standard for forensic comparison of glass by density; specifies temperature control, calibration, and precision requirements...
- BNSS 2023
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, the statute that replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure. It introduced a mandatory forensic-scene-visit requirement for offences...
Explained in these topics
- Density Measurement: Forensic MethodsDirectorate of Forensic Science Services, India; issues the Forensic Laboratory Manual that governs glass and soil examination procedures, including the bromof...
- Forensic Science: Definition, History, Scope and EthicsDirectorate of Forensic Science Services. Founded 2003 under the Ministry of Home Affairs, it runs the seven CFSLs and coordinates with state SFSLs.
- Forensic Science: Definition, Principles, History and EthicsDirectorate of Forensic Science Services, founded 2003 under MHA. Apex body that runs the seven CFSLs and coordinates with the state SFSLs.
- Indian Forensic Laboratories: CFSL, SFSL, RFSL MapDirectorate of Forensic Science Services. Apex coordinating body for the seven CFSLs, founded 2003 under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- The Indian Forensic Setup: CFSL, SFSL, DFSS, NICFSDirectorate of Forensic Science Services: the nodal authority under the Ministry of Home Affairs that administers the central forensic science infrastructure,...
- Organisation of FSLs, NCRB and NICFSDirectorate of Forensic Science Services. Apex coordinating body for central forensic labs under the Ministry of Home Affairs, established 2002, headed by the...