India's first identification portal and DNA database for unidentified bodies and missing persons, helping families find answers.
Recent data published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows that missing-person figures are higher in states and union territories with larger populations. For example, Maharashtra and Rajasthan reported 70,056 and 33,067 missing persons respectively, far more than smaller regions such as Mizoram and Ladakh.
Identifying unidentified bodies is a major challenge for local law enforcement agencies, owing to traditional practices and a lack of funds and infrastructure, which in turn makes it harder to solve missing-person cases. To address this public health issue, India needs a comprehensive database and identification portal that holds information on missing people and unidentified bodies. Such a system would help both investigators and families in the search for their loved ones.
UMID aims to fill this gap by providing both phenotypic (physical appearance) and genotypic (genetic) information on unidentified bodies. This information is collected during the postmortem examination conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS, New Delhi, a hospital that largely serves the districts of South and South-East Delhi.
The expanded UMID project, funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is carried out by the DNA Fingerprinting Laboratory at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS, New Delhi.
The database includes data from AIIMS, New Delhi, and six other participating centres across the country. Two other collaborating centres, along with the Biology Division of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), CBI, Delhi, and the NFSU Delhi campus, also support the project.
Biological samples are collected at all seven centres with the consent of the investigating officer.
Samples are sent to AIIMS, New Delhi (the coordinating centre) for STR profiling (genotyping).
The resulting profiles are uploaded to the secure DNA database along with their phenotypic details (the questioned database).
Thousands of DNA profiles are available on the website to help individuals searching for their loved ones.
By streamlining access to vital information, we hope to speed up identification and ensure that every life, regardless of circumstances, is recognised and remembered.