Narcotic and Psychotropic Consultative Committee – constitution and functions MCQs With Answer

Narcotic and Psychotropic Consultative Committee – constitution and functions MCQs With Answer

The Narcotic and Psychotropic Consultative Committee is an expert advisory body that helps implement national drug control policy, especially under the NDPS framework. It typically brings together representatives from health, home affairs, customs, drug control authorities, forensic experts, psychiatrists, pharmacologists and stakeholders from pharmacy and law enforcement. Key functions include advising on scheduling of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, licensing and regulatory measures, diversion prevention, clinical and forensic guidelines, record-keeping standards, training, and international treaty compliance. This concise, exam-focused set targets B. Pharm students preparing for regulatory, clinical and public health roles. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. Which central legislation primarily governs control of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in India?

• Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985
• Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940
• Mental Healthcare Act, 2017
• Pharmacy Act, 1948

Correct Answer: Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985

Q2. The main role of the Narcotic and Psychotropic Consultative Committee is to:

• Adjudicate criminal cases involving narcotics
• Provide advisory recommendations to the central government on policy and regulation
• Issue drug licenses directly to manufacturers
• Conduct forensic analyses for court cases

Correct Answer: Provide advisory recommendations to the central government on policy and regulation

Q3. The committee usually includes representatives from all of the following EXCEPT:

• Ministry of Health
• Customs and excise authorities
• Ministry of Education
• Law enforcement agencies

Correct Answer: Ministry of Education

Q4. Which group of experts is most likely to be part of the committee’s membership?

• Pediatricians, botanists, and economists
• Psychiatrists, pharmacologists, and forensic scientists
• Architects, statisticians, and artists
• Veterinarians, geologists, and historians

Correct Answer: Psychiatrists, pharmacologists, and forensic scientists

Q5. One of the committee’s key functions is to advise on:

• Setting tuition fees for pharmacy colleges
• Scheduling and classification of controlled substances
• Import tariffs for pharmaceuticals
• Building codes for pharmaceutical factories

Correct Answer: Scheduling and classification of controlled substances

Q6. Which activity falls within the committee’s advisory scope?

• Issuing arrest warrants for traffickers
• Recommending measures to prevent diversion of licensed stocks
• Designing packaging for over-the-counter medicines
• Approving clinical prescriptions for individual patients

Correct Answer: Recommending measures to prevent diversion of licensed stocks

Q7. Which national agency commonly implements regulatory controls on opiates and poppy cultivation?

• Central Bureau of Narcotics
• National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
• Central Drugs Standard Control Organization
• National AIDS Control Organization

Correct Answer: Central Bureau of Narcotics

Q8. Who has the authority to constitute the Narcotic and Psychotropic Consultative Committee at the central level?

• Central Government
• State Governments independently
• District Magistrates
• Private pharmaceutical companies

Correct Answer: Central Government

Q9. The committee’s recommendations regarding licensing typically aim to:

• Eliminate all licensing for narcotic raw materials
• Balance medical access while preventing misuse and diversion
• Increase profit margins for manufacturers
• Limit research on controlled substances

Correct Answer: Balance medical access while preventing misuse and diversion

Q10. Capacity building activities advised by the committee most often include:

• Training for law enforcement, pharmacists, and health professionals
• Architectural training for drug storage facilities
• Marketing training for pharmaceutical sales teams
• Foreign language training for inspectors

Correct Answer: Training for law enforcement, pharmacists, and health professionals

Q11. The committee can advise on amendments to:

• Electrical safety codes
• Schedules and regulatory provisions for controlled substances
• Motor vehicle regulations
• Food labeling standards

Correct Answer: Schedules and regulatory provisions for controlled substances

Q12. The nature of the committee’s recommendations is generally:

• Legally binding on courts
• Advisory to the central government
• Enforceable by police without further approval
• Automatically enacted as law

Correct Answer: Advisory to the central government

Q13. Which of the following is NOT a typical function of the committee?

• Advising on forensic and laboratory standards
• Recommending public awareness and prevention strategies
• Directly prosecuting offenders in court
• Guiding policies on medical use of controlled drugs

Correct Answer: Directly prosecuting offenders in court

Q14. Effective inter-agency coordination facilitated by the committee usually involves:

• Linking customs, police, health authorities and drug regulators
• Merging all agencies into a single department
• Replacing state agencies with private contractors
• Outsourcing enforcement to international firms

Correct Answer: Linking customs, police, health authorities and drug regulators

Q15. The committee helps ensure compliance with international obligations such as:

• The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961
• The Kyoto Protocol on climate change
• The Berne Convention for literary works
• The Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer

Correct Answer: The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961

Q16. In the context of clinical practice, the committee advises on:

• Therapeutic guidelines and medical necessity for controlled medicines
• Choosing brand logos for pharmacies
• Hospital menu planning
• Sports medicine protocols only

Correct Answer: Therapeutic guidelines and medical necessity for controlled medicines

Q17. Which responsibility would NOT typically be assigned to the consultative committee?

• Drafting model regulations for record-keeping
• Recommending laboratory certification standards
• Directly seizing contraband at borders
• Suggesting rehabilitation and treatment frameworks

Correct Answer: Directly seizing contraband at borders

Q18. Developing guidelines for safe prescribing, dispensing and inventory control is a task to:

• Be undertaken by the committee as an advisory measure
• Be ignored because it is outside the committee’s scope
• Be left solely to private pharmaceutical firms
• Be managed only by international organizations

Correct Answer: Be undertaken by the committee as an advisory measure

Q19. When a new psychoactive substance emerges, the committee is expected to:

• Review evidence and advise on scheduling or control measures
• Immediately ban all research involving that substance
• Allow unrestricted commercial distribution
• Defer entirely to state governments without advice

Correct Answer: Review evidence and advise on scheduling or control measures

Q20. Record-keeping and inventory recommendations by the committee aim to:

• Enable traceability and prevent diversion of controlled stocks
• Make record-keeping optional for pharmacies
• Encourage informal trade of narcotics
• Eliminate audits and inspections

Correct Answer: Enable traceability and prevent diversion of controlled stocks

Q21. Which stakeholder is least likely to be a regular member of the committee?

• Customs officials
• Pharmacologists
• International agencies as permanent members
• Law enforcement representatives

Correct Answer: International agencies as permanent members

Q22. The committee contributes to national strategies on:

• Rehabilitation and de-addiction services
• Construction of highways
• Crop insurance policies
• Telecommunications licensing

Correct Answer: Rehabilitation and de-addiction services

Q23. Research proposals involving controlled substances are typically:

• Reviewed by advisory bodies like this committee before approval
• Automatically approved without oversight
• Prohibited in all cases
• Only reviewed by marketing teams

Correct Answer: Reviewed by advisory bodies like this committee before approval

Q24. Which tool is commonly recommended by the committee to control misuse?

• Implementing strict scheduling and licensing systems
• Eliminating all clinical use of controlled drugs
• Stopping all imports of medical opioids forever
• Privatizing law enforcement functions

Correct Answer: Implementing strict scheduling and licensing systems

Q25. The consultative committee primarily provides recommendations to:

• The central government or the concerned central ministry
• Individual patients for prescriptions
• Foreign governments exclusively
• Municipal corporations for local services

Correct Answer: The central government or the concerned central ministry

Q26. Which international treaty is directly relevant to narcotic control policies discussed by the committee?

• Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961
• Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992
• Paris Agreement, 2015
• Hague Convention on Civil Procedure

Correct Answer: Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961

Q27. The committee may influence inclusion of a controlled medicine in the national formulary by:

• Assessing clinical need, risk–benefit and public health impact
• Choosing brand advertising strategies
• Setting patient co-payments directly
• Mandating only domestic manufacturers to produce it

Correct Answer: Assessing clinical need, risk–benefit and public health impact

Q28. Proper disposal and destruction protocols for unused narcotics are advised to:

• Prevent environmental contamination and diversion
• Increase stockpiles indefinitely
• Allow open dumping in municipal sites
• Encourage resale in informal markets

Correct Answer: Prevent environmental contamination and diversion

Q29. The legal penalties for unauthorized manufacture and trafficking are primarily defined in:

• Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985
• Indian Penal Code, 1860 only
• Trade Marks Act, 1999
• Consumer Protection Act, 2019

Correct Answer: Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985

Q30. The committee’s role in clinical trials involving controlled substances includes:

• Advising on protocol safety, storage, and regulatory compliance
• Drafting marketing labels for successful drugs
• Guaranteeing trial success
• Replacing ethics committees entirely

Correct Answer: Advising on protocol safety, storage, and regulatory compliance

G S Sachin

I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.

Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com