HISTORY OF FORENSIC SCIENCES DEPARTMENT

1849: FSD owes it's origin to a small laboratory in the name of "Chemical Examiner's Laboratory" sometime even before 1849 (as per the opinion - report - document dated Oct.30,1849 that could be traced in the archives; so one believes that the year of birth could be earlier than 1849).

1905 : A separate Police Laboratory was established by appointing a Coin and Currency Expert to render scientific assistance to the investigating officers.  

1935 : Appointment of Ballistic Expert.  

1936 : Appointment of Foot-Print Expert.  

1951 : Appointment of Document Expert.  

1959 : Establishment of the first integrated "Forensic Science Laboratory" by combining three Laboratories viz., the "Chemical Examiner's Laboratory" , the "Police Laboratory" and the "Prohibition and Excise Laboratory". This has brought under one roof all types of scientific examination in relation to criminal, civil and social justice administration.  

1967 : Bifurcation of "Forensic Science Laboratory" into two units viz., the "Forensic Science Laboratory" and the "Chemical Examiner's" Laboratory.  

1970 : Establishment of Mobile Forensic Science Laboratories to render field criminalistics service at the scene of crime.  

1971 : Separation of the "Prohibition and Excise Laboratory" from the "Forensic Science Laboratory ".  

1973 : Merger of Forensic Science Laboratory and Chemical Examiner's Laboratory.  

1974 : Debut of two Regional Forensic Science Laboratories one at Madurai and the other at Coimbatore.  

1976 : Began offering a two-year full time MSc., Forensic Science course with the affiliation of the University of Madras.(Temporarily suspended)  

1980 : Merger of the "Prohibition and Excise Laboratory "with the mainstream of "Forensic Science Laboratory".  

1981 : Recognized for conducting Ph.D Programmes.  

1984 : Renamed in its present form as "Forensic Sciences Department".