In a landmark humanitarian and technological initiative, Punjab has become the first state in India to launch a statewide public identification portal, "Pehchaan", for the digital identification of unidentified and unclaimed deceased persons admitted to government mortuaries across the state. The state-level portal was formally launched by Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh here on Wednesday.
Under the 'Pehchaan' initiative, facial photographs, permanent identification marks including tattoos, birthmarks, and deformities, and detailed physical descriptions of every unidentified, unclaimed deceased person will be uploaded to the portal within 48 hours of postmortem at any government mortuary in Punjab. The portal is publicly accessible free of charge through all official websites of the Health Department and can be searched by families from anywhere in India or abroad. Once a claimant submits an online claim, the concerned Investigating Officer is automatically notified to proceed with formal identification under competent legal authority without requiring families to visit mortuaries or police stations.
Describing the initiative as a moral and civilisational commitment, Dr Balbir Singh said, “Every year, approximately 5,000 to 6,000 human beings die as unknown and unclaimed in Punjab alone. They were someone's son, daughter, spouse, or parent, and somewhere a family is still waiting for them. In our tradition, every soul is equal, and dignity is non-negotiable. No person, no matter how poor or migrant, will be denied the dignity of being found. The dignity of the dead is as much our responsibility as the health of the living, and Pehchaan ensures every family gets that crucial closure.”
The Health Minister noted that the portal is built on the robust foundation of Punjab's digital medico-legal software 'MedLEaPR', an NIC-built system developed following Punjab and Haryana High Court directions. Currently operational across all 23 districts and 346 government hospitals in the state with over 6,600 registered Medical Officers, MedLEaPR has recorded more than 12 lakh medico-legal and postmortem cases with a 99.6% timely report freezing compliance rate.
Dr Balbir Singh further highlighted that MedLEaPR connects police, courts, health institutions, and nine forensic science laboratories—including AIIMS Bathinda—while maintaining active integration with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) for cross-matching missing person records. Punjab's pioneering medico-legal documentation model has set a national benchmark, having been studied and adopted by nearly 30 States and Union Territories across India.
The Health Minister affirmed that the Pehchaan portal complies fully with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023. He called upon all civil surgeons, medical officers, and mortuary staff to recognise that their timely reporting serves as a compassionate bridge reconnecting lost souls with grieving families.