The draft of the Human DNA Profiling Bill is scheduled to be presented in Parliament during the ongoing monsoon session. While a law to regulate the collection, storage and use of the human genetic code is long overdue, this draft has faced strong criticism from civil liberties experts. The act of profiling DNA (or deoxyribonucleic acid) is intrusive in nature. In the absence of a specific privacy law, this draft has substantial scope to violate the privacy of individuals. The draft could also open a political can of worms in that DNA may be used to try and determine caste and religious markers. Ideally, a privacy law that adheres to the recommendations of the A P Shah Commission on Privacy should have been passed before presenting the DNA Bill - and indeed, before rolling out the Aadhaar system, which collects biometric data. However, the government is obviously reluctant to move on the privacy front. Indeed, the Attorney General recently argued that there was no fundamental right to privacy in a recent submission to the Supreme Court. Whatever may be its legal merit or demerit, this is a dangerous and illiberal position to take, and the government should reconsider.