Questioned Document: Inks and Papers Basics

UGC-NET Forensic Science Unit IX drill on questioned document examination fundamentals covering ink classification and paper science. Questions span the full range of writing ink types, including iron-gall (the dominant historical ink from medieval manuscripts to 19th-century documents), dye-based fountain pen inks, pigment-based inks, ballpoint oil-paste inks, gel inks, and fluorescent inks. Paper science topics include cellulose fibre composition, mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and kaolin, surface sizing agents, watermark technology (true watermark formed by the dandy roll versus simulated watermarks), wood-pulp fibre morphology (short hardwood fibres versus long softwood fibres), cotton linters, optical brightening agents (OBAs) that fluoresce under UV light, paper grammage measured in grams per square metre (gsm), acid versus alkaline paper permanence, and the construction of Indian banknote paper at the Security Paper Mill Hoshangabad (SPB Hoshangabad) operated by BRBNMPL.

The Indian regulatory and institutional context is tested through the Security Paper Mill Hoshangabad under Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL), which supplies the cotton-rag blend security paper with embedded security thread used in Indian currency notes. Questioned document examiners in India work primarily through the Government Examiner of Questioned Documents (GEQD), Shimla, and regional CFSL laboratories. The standard authoritative references for this domain are Hilton (Scientific Examination of Questioned Documents), Ellen, Day and Davies (Scientific Examination of Documents), and Brunelle and Reed (Forensic Examination of Ink and Paper). The ASTM E1422 standard covers test methods for inks.

Topics covered:

• Ink classification: iron-gall, dye-based, pigment-based, ballpoint, gel, fluorescent
• Ballpoint ink components: oleic acid, synthetic dyes, resins, high-viscosity paste
• Paper composition: cellulose fibres (wood pulp and cotton), CaCO3 and kaolin fillers, sizing
• True watermark (dandy roll) versus simulated watermark (print or embossed)
• Fibre morphology: short hardwood fibres, long softwood fibres, cotton linters
• Optical brightening agents (OBAs) and UV fluorescence in paper
• Paper grammage (gsm) and acid versus alkaline paper permanence
• Indian currency paper: SPB Hoshangabad, BRBNMPL, cotton-rag blend with security thread
• Standard A4 paper dimensions (ISO 216: 210 x 297 mm)
• Ink colour examination: visible light, UV fluorescence, and IR luminescence

Allow 30 minutes.