LUCKNOW, Feb. 14 -- To ease pressure on government mortuaries, the Uttar Pradesh government has authorised select private and autonomous medical colleges to conduct post-mortem examinations under a tightly regulated framework. Officials said the move is intended to reduce delays in medico-legal cases, expand forensic capacity across districts and strengthen hands-on training for postgraduate medical students, while retaining strict administrative and legal oversight. Government mortuaries in several districts have been grappling with heavy caseloads, often leading to delays in autopsy reports that are critical for criminal investigations and court proceedings. By decentralising post-mortem work and involving qualified private and government medical colleges with adequate infrastructure, the government aims to reduce pendency and ensure faster turnaround of medico-legal documentation, officials said. The order, issued by the medical education department on Friday, provides a structured mechanism for distributing cases based on institutional capacity, thereby preventing bottlenecks at district hospitals. To maintain accountability, district-level committees headed by the respective district magistrates will supervise the allocation of cases. The panels will include the chief medical officer, superintendent of police and medical college representatives, officials said. However, the order clarifies that sensitive cases, or those requiring the constitution of a medical board, may not be referred to private institutions. According to officials, beyond easing administrative strain, the decision is also expected to strengthen postgraduate training in forensic medicine. Medical colleges with functional forensic departments and properly equipped mortuaries will be able to provide practical exposure to students, aligning academic learning with real-world medico-legal procedures. Institutions must adhere to the Uttar Pradesh Anatomy Act, 1956, National Medical Commission norms and state-prescribed standards on infrastructure, staffing, documentation and evidence handling. The government has mandated compliance with standard operating procedures issued by forensic authorities to ensure uniformity, evidentiary integrity and legal admissibility of post-mortem findings. District medico-legal experts, where available, may head medical boards. Reporting and record maintenance responsibilities will remain with designated authorities such as the chief medical officer or the head of the forensic medicine department, depending on the institution. A high-level committee under the DG, medical education, will conduct periodic inspections of mortuary facilities before granting or continuing permission to conduct autopsies. Officials said the framework seeks to strike a balance between efficiency and institutional control....