Biotechnology and Bioinformatics

Dr. Rajesh Kumar Verma, a distinguished forensic scientist has joined as Professor of Practice in the Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics. With over 30 years of professional experience, including more than 23 years in forensic science laboratories, he brings extensive expertise in forensic analysis, research, and institutional leadership. Dr. Verma retired as Director of Forensic Services, Himachal Pradesh. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Director at the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, Mandi, and Assistant Director (Physics and Ballistics Division) at the State Forensic Science Laboratory, Junga. Throughout his career, he has played a pivotal role in crime scene investigation, supervision of forensic casework, and capacity building of scientific personnel.

Academically, Dr. Verma holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Physics. His academic foundation in physics has strongly influenced his interdisciplinary approach, enabling the application of advanced analytical techniques to forensic problems. His research contributions span a wide range of forensic domains, with particular emphasis on spectroscopic techniques such as Raman spectroscopy and ATR-FTIR, combined with chemometric and statistical modeling approaches. He has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications in reputed international journals. His work focuses on non-destructive analysis of trace evidence, source attribution, likelihood ratio-based evaluation, and the integration of machine learning in forensic science.

Dr. Verma has also contributed to emerging areas such as facial recognition, forensic voice comparison, artificial intelligence and pattern recognition techniques. His interdisciplinary research bridges forensic science with data science, making his work highly relevant in the era of digital and multimedia evidence. He has been actively involved in funded research projects, including the development of digital forensic facilities in Himachal Pradesh under the State Innovation Fund, and an ongoing project sponsored by the Directorate of Forensic Science Services (MHA, Government of India) focused on AI-based detection of image, video, and audio forgeries.

A recipient of multiple Best Paper Awards at national and international conferences, he has undergone specialized training in digital forensics, speaker identification, CCTV analysis, forensic statistics, and ballistics from premier institutions such as NICFS and CFSL.

At JUIT, Dr. Verma will contribute to teaching, research guidance, and interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly in forensic science. His presence will enrich the academic environment by bringing practical insights, research rigor, and real-world forensic expertise to students and faculty alike.