Journal of African Development

DNA profiling has transformed criminal justice by enabling precise identification of individuals from biological evidence, leading many jurisdictions to establish forensic DNA databases. The United States emerged as an early adopter through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), whereas India is at a nascent stage of developing a comparable framework and continues to confront significant legal and ethical concerns. This paper undertakes a comparative analysis of the use of DNA databases in criminal justice in the U.S. and India. It examines the governing legal frameworks, including constitutional protections, procedural safeguards, and statutory regimes such as CODIS-related laws in the U.S. and the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 in India. The paper further explores ethical and social dimensions, including consent, privacy, surveillance risks, proportionality, and data retention. By evaluating challenges and institutional capacities, the study identifies best practices offers recommendations for strengthening India’s emerging DNA database regime. in