Forensic Science: Statutes, Cases and Near-Neighbour Distinctions

This medium-difficulty mock takes the foundational topics of Unit I of the UGC-NET Forensic Science syllabus (Subject Code 82) and tests them at the level where each question requires the student to distinguish between near-neighbours: adjacent statutory sections, sister forensic techniques, related historical cases, and overlapping institutional roles. Topics range from the 1840 Lafarge poisoning trial (Orfila's pivotal testimony) and the 1903 Will West case at Leavenworth (Bertillon's failure mode), through the precise mapping of pre-2024 codes to their successors (IEA Section 65B to BSA Section 63; CrPC Section 174 to BNSS Section 194; IEA Section 45 to BSA Section 39), the FBI's organised, disorganised, and mixed offender typology, the constitutional landmarks of Selvi v. Karnataka (2010), the specific ISO standard for forensic lab accreditation (ISO/IEC 17025 vs 15189 vs 17020 vs 9001), and RFC 3227's order of volatility for digital evidence.

This is the second mock in the Unit I sequence (after the easy mock on foundations). It is designed for MSc Forensic Science students who have completed the introductory layer and are preparing for UGC-NET Paper II, NFSU entrance, or FACT mocks where near-neighbour confusion is the primary trap. Recommended after scoring 80%+ on the easy version of this unit.

Topics covered:

• Historical cases by name: Lafarge (1840), Will West (1903), Galton 1 in 64 billion (1892)
• IEA Section 45 legal status vs CrPC Section 293 procedure vs Article 20(3) right
• BSA / BNSS section mapping for the post-1 July 2024 transition
• Crime scene search method selection given specific scene scenarios
• FBI offender profiling typology (organised, disorganised, mixed)
• Henry classification numerator vs denominator finger positions
• Polygraph (autonomic channels) vs P300 (cortical EEG) measurement domain
• ISO standards for laboratory accreditation (17025, 15189, 17020, 9001)
• Indian forensic infrastructure (NABL, DFSS, NCRB and CCTNS)
• Constitutional rights tested in forensic contexts (Articles 14, 20(3), 21, 22)
• Sexual offence forensic biology (sperm persistence timeline)
• Digital forensic order of volatility (RFC 3227)

Each question includes a 250 to 400 word explanation with canonical near-neighbour disambiguation, statute and case citations, and a memory aid. Every citation is real and verifiable. Allow 30 minutes.