Mumbai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday laid the foundation stone of the permanent campus of the National Forensic Science University in Nagpur district, marking a significant step towards enhancing forensic education in Maharashtra, officials said.

Shah laid the first brick of the facility, located at Chicholi in Kamptee Tehsil, in a traditional ritual, followed by the virtual inauguration of the temporary campus, an official statement said.

NFSU is the world's only university dedicated to forensic science, with the Nagpur campus becoming its 11th, it said. The other existing campuses are in Gujarat, New Delhi, Goa, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Manipur, Pune, and Uganda.

The Nagpur campus will create skilled forensic experts, aiding law enforcement in preventing, reducing, and solving crimes. It will strengthen forensic capabilities across stakeholders and address law-and-order challenges, ultimately expediting justice delivery, said the release.

The campus is set to offer five courses in forensic science and cybersecurity, starting from the 2025-26 academic year, the statement said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, and NFSU Vice Chancellor J M Vyas were among those present at the event.