DNA testing, a foolproof means of establishing paternity, was first employed by the police in Andhra Pradesh some years ago. The Kerala government's initiative is a follow-up to that precedent.
A volume of 10 ml blood from each adult and 2 to 5 ml from each child involved is required for DNA analysis. Till recently, the parties involved have had to report to the Center for DNA, Finger Printing and Diagnostics (CDFD) in Hyderabad to give their blood samples. Alternatively, the samples can be collected in the presence of court authorities and sent under certification. Blood samples collected outside CDFD are dispatched in sterile vials along with an anticoagulant. The results, according to Women's Commission members, take around three to four months to arrive. However, a DNA testing lab has now come up in Thiruvananthapuram too.
DNA testing is decisive chiefly because no two DNA samples are alike. Statistically, for duplication to occur, the world's population must cross 4,000 crores—at present it is 576 crores. Global trends suggest that by the year 2040 the population will stabilise at 640 crores, beyond which no increase is expected or even possible. As the planet cannot support a population of more than 1,200 crores DNA testing is seen as remaining a surefire method of detection—for as long as planet earth is operational.
