Bhubaneswar, March 31: The diploma programme in forensic science will soon make a comeback at Utkal University after 10 years with the anthropology department deciding to include it in their course curriculum.

The subject will be reintroduced as a free elective paper titled ‘forensic anthropology and criminology’. It will start as part of the much-awaited Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) to be launched at the varsity from this academic session.

This decision was taken following the growing importance of the subject. There has been an increase in demand for forensic scientists as crime scene investigators, forensic pathologists, trace evidence analysts, and expert analysts in forensic specialisation.

A criminologist can also work as an analyst, teacher, reviewer and reformer of law, revising ways of criminal rehabilitation and as researchers to improve the criminal justice system.

There are opportunities for students in government and private forensic labs, private detective agencies, government agencies such as Central Bureau of Investigation, Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing, crime cells of police forces, NGOs, juvenile shelters and rehabilitation centres. Judging by the increased job prospects in the market, the department has considered reintroducing the subject.

“Students from both arts and science backgrounds can opt for the course,” said K.C. Satpathy, faculty of the department.

Launched as the first self-financing course by the university in 1996, forensic science was discontinued in 2002 because of the dearth of faculty and job prospects.

At that time, Utkal was only the second varsity in the country after Delhi University to offer this course with 10 seats, five of which were reserved for in-service candidates.

“Then we had visiting faculty and resource persons from the state forensic department, police and departments like chemistry. The course cost Rs 8,000 and there was a huge demand for the subject,” said P.K. Das, retired head of the department of anthropology.

Though there was no problem in filling up the seats, students passing out found it difficult to get jobs. “They got jobs where their expertise in forensic was not put to use,” Das said.

Later, the problem of acute staff shortage in the department led to its closure in 2002. Anthropology department authorities said the interest for the subject did not go down. “We have been getting regular queries about the course from students as well as those in service,” said department head Renupama Mohanty.

However, some areas of concern still remain.

“Courses such as this require advanced lab facilities that we do not have. Since the university has shortage of funds, it may not be possible to modernise the lab immediately. But the department can explore collaboration options with institutes such as Niser and Institute of Life Sciences,” she said.