UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — SC declines plea to make nucleic acid tests compulsory
Q1. Which body is the apex policy-formulating authority for blood transfusion services in India, whose screening protocols were at the centre of the 2026 Supreme Court plea on Nucleic Acid Testing?
- A. National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC)
- B. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)
- C. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
- D. Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)
Q2. The Supreme Court Bench that in March 2026 declined the plea to make Nucleic Acid Testing compulsory before blood transfusions was headed by which one of the following?
- A. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant
- B. Justice Joymalya Bagchi
- C. Justice B.R. Gavai
- D. Justice Surya Kant sitting with the Attorney-General
Q3. In the context of transfusion-transmitted infection screening, the 'window period' that Nucleic Acid Testing seeks to shorten refers to which one of the following?
- A. The early interval after infection when the pathogen is present in the blood but antibody-based serological tests cannot yet detect it
- B. The shelf-life period during which donated blood remains viable for transfusion before expiry
- C. The interval between blood donation and the issue of the donor's screening report to the blood bank
- D. The recovery period a thalassemia patient must wait between two successive transfusions
Q4. In the 2025 incident at Satna District Hospital, Madhya Pradesh, cited in the 2026 Supreme Court plea, how many thalassemia-affected children tested HIV-positive after blood transfusions?
- A. At least six
- B. Five
- C. Fourteen
- D. Eleven