Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today called for a techno-legal approach to tackle crime, as law alone cannot be sufficient in the new age. The Minister said this while delivering the 21st D P Kohli Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on the occasion of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) 62nd Foundation Day. Mr Vaishnaw mentioned that rapid technological, economic and social growth have altered the context of conventional investigation. He said that to solve new age challenges, especially the ones raised by AI, the CBI should look at more collaboration with startups, industry and academia. He expressed the need to harness the strength of the country’s academia, scientists and researchers to create technological solutions. Mr Vaishnaw urged the CBI for state-of-the-art cyber forensic labs by partnering with various institutes and Ministries.

The Minister also highlighted that the Centre has removed over 1,500 archaic laws since 2014 in a bid to simplify the legal and compliance structure. He said the government has moved away from a Colonial era legal framework and created a new criminal justice system where the people are looked as citizens, not as subjects. He further highlighted four pillars of growth strategy in the last decade. First, public investment in physical, social and digital infrastructure; second, a large number of inclusive growth programs; third, a strong focus on manufacturing and innovation; and fourth, simplification of legal and compliance structures.
During the event, Mr Vaishnaw also presented the President’s Police Medals for Distinguished Service and Police Medals for Meritorious Service to CBI officers on the occasion. The D P Kohli Memorial Lecture is held every year in homage to CBI founder Director Dharamnath Prasad Kohli, featuring highly distinguished speakers from various fields who share their insights and experience on pertinent topics.