₹20 Crore Push for Advanced Forensic Centres: AKTU to Establish 8 Cutting-Edge Centres of Excellence
In a landmark decision, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University approved a sweeping new forensic initiative covering cyber forensics, AI-driven investigation, crime scene science, and financial fraud — poised to reshape India's forensic education landscape.
In one of the most significant developments for forensic science education in Uttar Pradesh, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU), Lucknow, has received executive-council approval to establish eight dedicated Centres of Excellence in forensic and related investigative technologies — backed by a budget allocation of approximately ₹20 crore. The decision was ratified at the university's Executive Council (Karyaparishad) meeting held on 3 April 2026, chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof. J.P. Pandey.
What Exactly Was Decided?
The AKTU Executive Council meeting on 3 April 2026 was packed with major decisions — from approving a mammoth ₹1,016.63 crore overall university budget for FY 2026–27 to revising admissions policy for the upcoming academic session. But it was the unanimous approval to establish multiple new Centres of Excellence (CoEs) that caught the attention of the forensic science community nationwide.
Out of the approved CoEs, four are directly and specifically targeted at Cyber Forensic Investigation Technology. Combined with four other technology and innovation centres (covering AI, Apple-ecosystem computing, and Space Technology), AKTU is effectively transforming itself into a multi-disciplinary hub for the sciences that define 21st-century investigation.
The forensic centres are not peripheral academic additions — they are strategic research and training infrastructure aimed at serving not just AKTU's own student body, but also law enforcement agencies, investigative bodies, and affiliated colleges across the state of Uttar Pradesh.
The Four Forensic Centres of Excellence
As approved at the AKTU Executive Council meeting, 3 April 2026
All 8 Approved Centres of Excellence at AKTU
Beyond the four forensic-specific centres, the Executive Council also approved four additional CoEs that intersect significantly with forensic applications:
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01
Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security & Digital Forensics Forensic analysis of digital devices, cybercrime response, evidence handling under BNSS, 2023
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02
Integrated Centre for Crime Scene Investigation Physical forensics, trace evidence, AI-aided scene documentation and reconstruction
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03
Centre for Behavioural Forensics & Investigative Psychology Criminal profiling, lie detection, forensic interviewing, victimology
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04
Centre of Excellence in Forensic Accounting & Financial Investigation Fraud examination, asset tracing, forensic auditing, PMLA compliance
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05
AI Centre of Excellence AI-based tools for investigative analytics, crime pattern recognition, predictive policing support
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06
Apple Centre of Excellence Mobile forensics, app-based investigations, iOS device forensics training
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07
Space Technology Centre of Excellence Remote sensing, satellite surveillance, geospatial forensics, drone forensics
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08
Cyber Security Centre of Excellence (Standalone) Dedicated to cybersecurity research, ethical hacking, incident response, and vulnerability analysis
"The establishment of these Centres of Excellence marks a transformative shift — equipping Uttar Pradesh's technical education ecosystem to tackle 21st-century crime with scientific precision." — AKTU Executive Council Decision, April 3, 2026
Why This Matters for Forensic Science in India
India's forensic science landscape is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 — which replaced the colonial-era CrPC — now mandates forensic investigation in all offences punishable with seven or more years of imprisonment. This has generated an enormous and immediate demand for trained forensic professionals, advanced laboratories, and research-backed investigative methods.
Yet the supply side has lagged. Most criminal investigations in India still depend on understaffed, overworked forensic science laboratories. Conviction rates — though improving — remain significantly lower than global benchmarks. The answer, according to both policymakers and practitioners, lies in systemic capacity building: better training, better technology, and better institutional infrastructure.
AKTU's forensic CoEs sit squarely at the intersection of all three. By integrating AI-based investigative tools, cyber forensics, financial crime analysis, and behavioural science under one university ecosystem — one that already affiliates over 800 colleges across Uttar Pradesh — the initiative has the potential to cascade forensic awareness and competence into every corner of one of India's most populous states.
National Forensic Science Context: 2026
AKTU's initiative is part of a much broader national momentum in forensic infrastructure:
| Development | Details | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Union Budget 2026–27 | Over ₹1,471 crore allocated for forensic science development under MHA — the highest-ever dedicated forensic budget in India. | Systemic upgrade of CFSLs, mobile forensic units, cyber labs, and NFSU expansion |
| NFSU Bhubaneswar Campus | Foundation stone laid by Home Minister Amit Shah on 6 March 2026. Campus to offer M.Sc. Forensic Science, M.Sc. Digital Forensics & LL.M. in Cyber Law. | 14-campus NFSU network expanding forensic education across India |
| INTERPOL DFEG Meeting @ NFSU | India hosted the 11th INTERPOL Digital Forensic Expert Group meeting at NFSU Gandhinagar (March 23–25, 2026), with the first AI-Enabled Digital Forensics Summit. | India cementing role in global forensic discourse |
| Odisha Cyber Forensics | ₹89 crore proposed for a Cyber Security Centre of Excellence + ₹30 crore for FSL modernisation — total ₹119 crore investment. | Rapid state-level forensic infrastructure build-out across India |
| BNSS 2023 Mandate | Forensic investigation now mandatory for all offences carrying 7+ years imprisonment — a legal trigger creating unprecedented demand for trained forensic officers. | Urgency for thousands of new trained forensic professionals at national scale |
| NFSU AI Forensics Research | NFSU Chennai's team won Best Paper Award at ICAIDS 2026 for TrueFrame Analyser — AI-based deepfake detection in digital forensics. | Indian forensic institutions producing cutting-edge global research |
- AI in Investigation: The AI Centre of Excellence and Cyber Security CoE will accelerate integration of machine-learning tools in crime pattern analysis, digital evidence authentication, and deep-fake detection — capabilities now central to modern criminal investigation.
- Digital Forensics Training Pipeline: With 800+ affiliated colleges, AKTU can funnel cyber forensics awareness into undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across UP — creating India's largest state-level digital forensics talent pool.
- Forensic Accounting Demand: In FY2025–26, Indian banks and the Enforcement Directorate processed over 1,000 PMLA cases. The Forensic Accounting CoE directly addresses a shortage of qualified forensic accountants capable of supporting such investigations.
- Behavioural Forensics: India's investigative system has historically under-utilised psychological expertise. A dedicated centre signals the maturation of Indian forensic science toward a holistic, multi-disciplinary investigative model.
- Crime Scene Science: The Integrated Crime Scene Investigation Centre will help standardise evidence collection protocols — reducing contamination, improving chain-of-custody documentation, and ultimately strengthening prosecutorial outcomes.
- Faster Justice Delivery: All four forensic CoEs collectively serve the government's stated goal of raising India's conviction rate and reducing case pendency — goals that are forensic evidence-dependent at their core.
The Hub & Spoke Model: Multiplying Impact
A particularly notable feature of the AKTU CoE architecture is the planned Hub & Spoke model — explicitly mentioned for the AI Centre of Excellence. Under this framework, the main AKTU campus in Lucknow serves as the knowledge hub, while resources, faculty, research outputs, curriculum inputs, and training programmes radiate outward to affiliated colleges across Uttar Pradesh.
For forensic science, this model is transformational. It means a forensic accounting expert at AKTU's main campus can train faculty at 50 affiliated colleges simultaneously. A cyber forensics research breakthrough at the Digital Forensics CoE can be immediately integrated into curricula across the state. This is scalable, high-leverage forensic capacity building — the kind that individual standalone institutions cannot achieve.
The model also supports AI-based startup incubation within the forensic space — opening the door for investigative technology ventures, forensic analytics platforms, and legal-tech startups to emerge from the AKTU ecosystem.
