The National Forensic Sciences University Act, 2020

(1) This Act may be called the National Forensic SciencesUniversity Act, 2020. (2) It shall come into force on such date1as the Central Government may, by notification in theOfficial Gazette, appoint, and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act.

Whereas the objects of the National Forensic Sciences University are such as to make itan institution of national importance, it is hereby declared that the National University of ForensicSciences is an institution of national importance.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-- (a) "Academic Council" means the Academic Council of the University referred to in section 18; (b) "academic staff" means teachers and such categories of staff as are designated to be academicstaff by the Statutes; (c) "affiliated college" means an institution recognised as such by the Board of Governors inaccordance with the provisions of this Act and the Statutes made thereunder; (d) "Board of Governors" means the Board of Governors of the University referred to in section 15; (e) "campus" means the campus of the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University situated atGandhinagar, Gujarat, and that of the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute ofCriminology and Forensic Sciences situated at Rohini, New Delhi, or such other campus as may beestablished by the University at any place within India or outside India; (f) "Chancellor" means the Chancellor of the University; (g) "college" means a college or institution maintained or admitted to the privileges of theUniversity for imparting education and training in forensic sciences or its related disciplines; (h) "Court" means the Court of the University referred to in section 14; (i) "Dean", in relation to any School campus, means the Dean of such School campus; (j) "department" means an academic department of the University; (k) "distance education system" means the system of imparting education through any means ofcommunication such as broadcasting, telecasting, internet, correspondence courses, seminars, contactprogrammes or the combination of any two or more such means; (l) "employee" means any person appointed by the University and includes teachers, otheracademic and non-academic staff of the University; (m) "Executive Registrar" means the Executive Registrar of the University referred to insection 25; (n) "Finance Committee" means the Finance Committee of the University referred to in section 28; (o) "Fund" means the Fund of University referred to in section 35; (p) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette; (q) "School" means a school of study of the University; (r) "Statutes" and "Ordinances" mean, respectively, the Statutes and Ordinances of the Universitymade under this Act; (s) "student" means a student of the University and its affiliated colleges, and includes any personwho has enrolled for pursuing any course of study in the University; (t) "teachers" means Directors, Deans, professors, associate professors, assistant professors andsuch other persons as may be appointed for imparting instruction or conducting research or for givingguidance for research or rendering assistance to students, in the University or in any college orinstitution maintained by the University; (u) "University" means the National Forensic Sciences University established under this Act; (v) "Vice-Chancellor" means the Vice-Chancellor of the University referred to in section 21.

(1) The Gujarat Forensic Sciences University,Gandhinagar, Gujarat established under the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University Act, 2008 (Gujrat Act 17 of 2018), and the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and ForensicSciences, New Delhi shall be established as an University by the name of National Forensic SciencesUniversity. (2) The National Forensic Sciences University shall be a body corporate having perpetual successionand a common seal with power, subject to the provisions of this Act, to acquire, hold and dispose ofproperty and to contract, and shall, by the said name, sue or be sued. (3) The headquarters of the University shall be at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. (4) The campuses of the University shall include the campuses situated at Gujarat Forensic SciencesUniversity, Gandhinagar, Gujarat and the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute ofCriminology and Forensic Sciences, New Delhi and such other campuses as the Central Government may,by notification, specify. (5) The first Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Board of Governors, Academic Council, Directors, Deans,Executive Registrar and all other persons who may hereafter become such officers or members, so long asthey continue to hold such office or membership, shall constitute the University.

On and from the commencement of this Act,-- (a) any reference to the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat or the LokNayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences, New Delhi inany other law for the time being in force or in any contract or other instrument, shall be deemed as areference to the University; (b) all appointments made, orders issued, degrees and other academic distinctions conferred,diplomas and certificates awarded, privileges granted or other things done under the provisions of theGujarat Forensic Sciences University Act, 2008, in so far as it relates to the Gujarat Forensic SciencesUniversity, Gandhinagar, shall be deemed to have been, respectively, made, issued, conferred,awarded, granted or done under the corresponding provisions of this Act, and, except as otherwiseprovided by or under this Act or the Statutes or Ordinances or regulations, continue in force unlessand until they are superseded by the Statutes or Ordinances made under this Act; (c) the status of "Centre of Excellence" and "Institute of Strategic or Security related Interest"granted to the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar by the Government of Gujarat andthe status of "Center of Excellence for Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances" conferred bythe Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, to the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University,Gandhinagar, shall be applicable to the University; (d) all properties, movable and immovable, of or belonging to the Gujarat Forensic SciencesUniversity, Gandhinagar, Gujarat or the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute ofCriminology and Forensic Sciences, New Delhi shall vest in the University; (e) all rights, debts and other liabilities of the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar,Gujarat or the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and ForensicSciences, New Delhi shall be transferred to and be the rights, debts and liabilities of the University; (f) every person employed by the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat orthe Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences, NewDelhi, immediately before such commencement, shall hold his office or service in the University bythe same tenure, at the same remuneration and upon the same terms and conditions and with the samerights and privileges as to pension, leave, gratuity, provident fund, and other matters as he would haveheld if this Act had not been passed, and shall continue to do so unless and until his employment isterminated or until such tenure, remuneration and terms and conditions are duly altered by theStatutes, not detrimental to the service conditions of such employee: Provided that any reference, by whatever form of words, to the Registrar and other officers of theGujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat or the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash NarayanNational Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences, New Delhi, in any law for the time being inforce, or in any instrument or other document, shall be deemed to be reference to the ExecutiveRegistrar and other officers of the University; (g) any activity for appointment or promotion of academic or non-academic staff underway in theGujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar at the time of commencement of this Act shall bedeemed to be valid, and further proceeding in such appointment or promotion shall be taken inaccordance with the provisions of this Act and be continued from the stage at the time ofcommencement of this Act; (h) every person pursuing, before the commencement of this Act, any academic or researchcourse or programmes of study in the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, shall bedeemed to have migrated and registered with the University, on such commencement, at the samelevel of course or programme and shall continue to pursue such academic or research course andprogrammes of study in the University; (i) every person pursuing, before the commencement of this Act, any academic or research coursein the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences,New Delhi, shall continue to pursue their academic courses and programmes of study under theenrolment and affiliation of the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi which shallconduct examinations and award degrees to them upon successful completion of such courses andprogrammes of study; (j) all suits and other legal proceedings instituted or which could have been instituted by oragainst the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar or the Lok Nayak JayaprakashNarayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences, New Delhi, immediately before thecommencement of this Act, shall be continued or instituted by or against the University.