Move over Astrology, fingerprint analysis is new future

When Neena Joshi (32), a banker based out of Delhi had a daughter six months back, the first thing she did was to do her "Dermatoglyphics Multiple Intelligences Testing" (DMIT) or fingerprint analysis done as soon as possible. Joshi and her software engineer hubby zeroed in on an expert and spent Rs5,000 to find out the innate qualities of their month-old child through her fingerprints.
Joshi is not alone. Several parents across India are finding out child's innate qualities much before he or even starts talking. "International schools and pre-schools are also approaching us and so are youth who are still undecided about their career," says Jerin James of DrThumbRule, a Mumbai-based centre which assess over 500 children a week in over 80 centres across the globe.

So, what is the dermatoglyphics?

Dermatoglyphic analysis is based on the formation and amount of ridges on the fingerprints where each finger is said to represent different ability, and each pattern has its own definition. Dermatoglyphic experts say fingerprints start developing in foetus from 14-24 weeks with the brain pattern growing simultaneously. They categorize it into three main types whorls-shaped, arch-shaped, and loop-shape which are further subdivided into 11 basic types based on which child's inborn positives and limitations are derived.

How it is done?

Fingerprints of all the fingers of a child are taken followed by manual counting of ridges and then a detailed analysis is done with the help of a software. According to dermatoglyphic experts, thumb print tells about action and execution; index finger logic and creativity; middle finger limb motor ability and art appreciation; ring power of voice recognition; little finger text image discerning. Based on assessment, parents are given report which includes positives and limitations, perspective and reflex sensitivity, innate personalities and characteristics like IQ, EQ, preferred learning style and career options.

How big is the business?

The trend which started abroad a few decades ago entered in India almost five years back and has now reached Tier-B cities too. While there are hundreds of standalone centres across India with several other experts doing business from home, there are over three dozen players which rule the market. The exact size of the business is unclear though.

Are these experts trained and licensed?

The experts say they have learnt the art from centres abroad, there is no system through which one can actually verify that. Like many other children driven tests, this is also unregulated and is being run without any license.

How authentic and accurate the analysis is?

Since the test is very new, there is no data to substantiate the authenticity and accuracy of the test. However, an expert admits, "The accuracy rate of dermatoglyphics analysis can be up to 85%."

What do paediatricians and experts have to say?

While psychiatrists say dermatoglyphics experts are fooling people, Shailesh Mohite, head of the forensic medicine department of Nair Hospital raised serious doubt over the entire concept itself. "There is no scientific basis to this." Sameer Dalwai, paediatrician and chairperson of children with disability, Indian Paediatrics Society, termed the DMIT as palmistry. "There is no research backing dermatoglyphics. There is no relation between brain activities and fingerprints. One has to track all these children who get assessed by these centres for next few years to see if predictions turned out true or not."
However, DMIT experts refute the claim. "Palmistry is prediction of future through interpretation of lines on palms whereas dermatoglyphs is the science of comparing, analysing and classifying the patterns of skin grains and ridges of fingerprints," says an official from Brain-mark, a Gujarat-based centre.